The long-promised, long-planned East Ohio Street/Route 28 improvement project has advanced to a new plateau toward eventual construction.

It's called a FONSI, an acronym for "finding of no significant impact." It means that revised plans for the project between the North Side and Millvale will not change the outcome of the original environmental studies and approvals.

As a result, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation can now move to final design and right of way acquisition for the first time -- the final steps that precede construction.

PennDOT considers the announcement that the Federal Highway Administration issued the FONSI "a significant milestone," District 11 Executive Dan Cessna said. "Folks who have waited for years for this project should feel assured it is now one step closer to becoming a reality."

He said the action puts the estimated $130 million-$140 million improvement on schedule for a probable groundbreaking sometime in 2009, provided sufficient funds can be lined up.

Meanwhile, PennDOT hopes to open bids this fall or in spring 2008 to build a direct ramp from Route 28 inbound to Interstate 279 across the North Side, toward the Fort Duquesne Bridge. The ramp would enable motorists to avoid using part of East Ohio Street and facing several traffic lights, making it a nonstop movement.

PennDOT's plan is to finish the connector before it begins the Route 28 project, a 2.5-mile stretch notorious for traffic congestion, accidents and tie-ups at the 31st and 40th Street bridges.

Mr. Cessna said rebuilding Route 28, the last leg of what's also known as the Allegheny Valley Expressway, "will eliminate a major bottleneck in Pittsburgh and represents a significant enhancement to mobility for the entire region."

The project has been planned for decades. Progress has been intermittent, largely because of indecision and controversy over the landmark St. Nicholas Church, the first Croatian Catholic Church in the United States.

The church is closed and may become a heritage museum. PennDOT's latest plan, called Alternative 7, would preserve the structure whose front doors lie only a few feet off the present highway, a narrow four lanes with no median barrier.

PennDOT said it came up with the compromise plan after listening to stakeholders and community interests. It also had to overcome difficult issues with Norfolk Southern Railway so it could slightly shift the highway on its parallel property to achieve a wider right of way.

Alternative 7 provides grade-separated interchanges at both bridges, two new southbound lanes to avoid traffic signals at the 40th Street Bridge, a safety barrier separating opposite lanes of travel and an emergency pull-off.

The speed limit for thru traffic will be 45 mph.

The final design is to include complex plans for phasing work and maintaining traffic over the three-year construction schedule.

Additional information is available at PennDOT's District 11 roadwork Web site. Click on "Featured Projects" to find the Route 28/East Ohio Street project.