Savings from Low Bids Allow Additional Work
HARRISBURG – Gov. Edward G. Rendell announced that 33 additional highway and bridge projects will be financed by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Savings from low bids on the current 293 Recovery Act funded projects will fund the additional projects.
“Pennsylvania has made, and will continue to make, good use of Recovery funds to tackle the backlogs in bridge and pavement maintenance,” Rendell said in his certification letter to U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.
“In addition to helping the state and local municipalities advance their maintenance agenda, the Recovery Act money will mean job preservation and creation across Pennsylvania,” the Governor added. “In addition to the immediate benefits of jobs and economic stimulus, these projects will create long-term infrastructure assets that will benefit future generations.”
Pennsylvania will receive $1.026 billion in Recovery funds for highway and bridge work. Through the end of October, the Department of Transportation has awarded contracts for 272 Recovery-funded projects totaling $849 million. Fifty-seven projects valued at $68 million have already been completed.
“PennDOT staff continue to work tirelessly to expedite these projects,” said PennDOT Secretary Allen D. Biehler, P.E. “We appreciate their hard work and the efforts of the construction industry. Bids have been averaging 11 percent below estimates, and the savings make it possible to tackle 33 more projects.”
In his letter, the Governor noted that PennDOT worked with the 23 Metropolitan and Rural Planning Organizations to secure their consensus for the list of Recovery Act projects. The Governor also praised the Pennsylvania Division Office of the Federal Highway Administration for its continued help with the evolving stimulus procedures and requirements.
PennDOT is modifying five existing Recovery-funded projects. Initially, Pennsylvania’s $1.026 billion Recovery Act allocation for road and bridge repairs was expected to fund 242 projects. Low bid savings on initial projects allowed PennDOT to add 51 projects in July.
For more information on how the Recovery Act is benefiting Pennsylvanians, visit www.recovery.pa.gov.
Editor’s Note: The list of 33 projects follows.
Allegheny County
• Rehabilitation of Jack’s Run Bridge, carrying California Avenue over Jack’s Run in Pittsburgh, $9.2 million.
• Replacement of sidewalks and curbing, installation of ADA ramps, street lights and wiring in the vicinity of the Westinghouse Middle School in Wilmerding borough, $158,823.
Beaver County
• Rehabilitation of Rochester Bridge, Route 51, $12.1 million. This project was previously certified for Recovery Act funding; it is being revised to do additional concrete structure repairs.
Cambria County
• Preservation of 10 bridges on U.S. 219, and Routes 36, 56 and 271 and State Route 3031, $1.7 million.
• Rehabilitation of Riverside Bridge, carrying Eisenhower Boulevard over Stonycreek River in Upper Yoder and Stonycreek townships, $813,559.
Cameron County
• Replacement of Hicks Run Bridge, Route 555, north of Run Road in Gibson Township, $1.6 million.
Chester County
• U.S. 202 repaving and guiderail repairs in Westtown and West Goshen townships, $12.3 million. This project was previously certified for Recovery Act funding; it is being revised to reflect cost and project de scri ption changes.
Crawford County
• East Branch Trail, phase 1, multi-use trail north of Spartansburg, $1.1 million.
Erie County
• Replacement of bridge carrying Concord Road over Pine Run in Union Township, $940,686.
Fayette County
• U.S. 119 pavement preservation between the Everson exit and the Westmoreland County line in North Union, Bullskin and Upper Tyrone townships, $2.6 million.
• U.S. 119 pavement preservation between Penn State Fayette and the Connellsville Street exit in North Union Township, $300,000.
• U.S. 51 pavement preservation between Waltersburg Bridge and Smock Road in Franklin and Menallen townships, $946,903.
Franklin County
• Rehabilitation of Mont Alto Road bridge over a tributary to the Conococheague Creek in Guilford Township, $584,490.
Indiana County
• Rehabilitation of the Heshbon Bridge carrying Yellow Creek Park Road, Route 259, over Blacklick Creek in West Wheatland and Brush Valley townships, $2.8 million.
Lancaster County
• Resurfacing of Route 272 between U.S. 222 to north of Dennis Driver, except for the Route 372 intersection, in Drumore, East Drumore and Fulton townships, $4.2 million.
Lawrence County
• Patching and overlay of U.S. 422 from Cascade Street to the Butler County line in New Castle and Shenango and Slippery Rock townships, $5.3 million.
• New curbs, sidewalks, lighting and landscaping in Ellwood City on Lawrence Avenue between 9th and 11th Streets and at the railroad underpass of Fifth Street, $700,000.
Lycoming County
• Micro-resurfacing of Route 14 between Red Burn Road in McIntyre Township to the Tioga County line, $140,000.
• Micro-resurfacing of Route 87 from Mill Creek in Fairfield Township to Manor Road in Plunkets Creek Township, $148,010.
Mercer County
• Replacement of the Baker Hill Road Bridge over Lenango Creek in Delaware Township, $1.2 million.
Monroe County
• Mill, patch and overlay of Interstate 80 westbound between Interstate 380 and Route 115. Reconstruction of I-80 eastbound and westbound between Route 115 and the Carbon County line and the ramps at the interchange with Route 115, $11.7 million. This project was previously certified for Recovery Act funding; it is being revised to add ramp work.
• Restoration of Route 33, including the Sciota and Snydersville ramps and a section of U.S. 209, between the bridge over Bossardsville Road to Interstate 80 in Hamilton and Stroud townships, $4.5 million.
Northampton County
• Relocate and realign the existing 2nd Street ramp from 3rd Street to Route 378 in Bethlehem, $5.1 million.
Perry County
• Restoration of the bridge carrying Route 233 over Sherman’s Creek, including the approaches between Weavers Road to Carlisle Street in Tyrone Township, $2.1 million.
• Restoration of the bridge carrying Waggoners Gap Road, Route 74, over Sherman’s Creek in Spring Township, $1.7 million.
Philadelphia
• Safety improvements and rehabilitation of dual bridges that carry the Roosevelt Expressway, U.S. 1, over the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia, $3.5 million.
Pike County
• Replacement of the bridge carrying Twin Lakes Road over Shohola Creek in Shohola Township, $858,720.
Potter County
• Restoration of U.S. 6 east of Main Street in Coudersport and Eulalia Township, $3.7 million.
Schuylkill County
• Mill, patch and overlay of Interstate 81 from the Luzerne County line to Route 54, including the interchange ramps at Mahanoy City and Delano and reconstruction of the Route 309 interchange ramps, $18.5 million. This project was previously certified for Recovery Act funding; it is being revised to add ramp work.
• Resurfacing of Route 54 from the bridge over the Reading and Blue Mountain Railroad, near Coles Street in Mahanoy Township through Mahanoy City to the Ryan Township line, $3.9 million. This project was previously certified for Recovery Act funding; it is being revised to reflect cost increase.
Susquehanna County
• Replacement of the bridge carrying Graham Road over Wyalusing Creek in Rush Township, $467,971.
Tioga County
• Mill and resurface U.S. 15 southbound from the Welcome Center to U.S. 6 in Mansfield and Tioga and Richmond Townships, $380,358.
Warren County
• Slide correction work on the Warren Bypass, U.S. 6 in Mead Township, $1.2 million.
Washington County
• Preservation of the bridge carrying Bridge Boulevard over the Monongahela River in Brownsville, $1.2 million.
Westmoreland County
• Preservation of U.S. 30 from U.S. 119 to Georges Station Road in Hempfield and Unity townships and South Greensburg and Southwest Greensburg. Also preservation of U.S. 30 from Mount Laurel Plaza intersection with U.S. 30 east to a point west of Mission Road intersection, $5.8 million.
• Preservation of the bridge carrying Route 136 over the Youghiogheny River in West Newton, $950,000.
York County
• Restoration of the bridge carrying Indian Rock Dam Road over West Branch of Codorus Creek in North Codorus and West Manchester townships, $1.2 million.
• Resurfacing of Route 116 between Jacobs Mill Road and Route 516 in Heidelberg and North Codorus townships, $2.1 million.