CLEARFIELD – A nine-county area in North Central Pennsylvania saw road and bridge improvements in 2015 worth more than $172 million, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT).
Improvements included roadway paving and resurfacing, safety enhancements and bridge rehabs, repairs and replacements. Completion of these projects helps lower overall numbers of structurally deficient bridges and addresses the structural integrity of deteriorated pavements, bringing smoother, safer roads to motorists.
“The projects completed in 2015 are proof of the hard work we do to set priorities and stretch funding dollars as far as possible, said PennDOT District 2 Executive Kevin Kline.
“Our planning partners in Centre County, SEDA-COG, and North Central Regional Planning join us in those efforts, which bring transportation improvements across nine counties.”
PennDOT District 2 finished 56 major projects this year, including 26 bridge replacements, repair and preservation of more than 30 other bridges, and paving of 167 miles of state highway in Cameron, Centre, Clearfield, Clinton, Elk, Juniata, McKean, Mifflin and Potter counties. Eleven of the roadway improvement projects would not have been possible without funding from Act 89, Pennsylvania’s transportation plan. District 2 also improved another 148 miles of roadway through micro-surfacing and seal-coating.
In addition, District 2 provided plowing and road clearing services throughout the 2015 winter season, making use of 95,000 tons of salt, over 126,000 tons of anti-skid, and almost 1.3 million gallons of brine across the nine counties.
The district also entered into a partnership with Shell, Tenaska and Dominion Transmission for funding to address upgrading weight restricted sections of Routes 44 and 144 in Potter County. The two-year project started in summer of 2015 and includes roadway drainage improvements, full depth reclamation, asphalt overlay/paving, and guide rail updates. Once complete, 46.5 miles of roadway will be rehabilitated.
PennDOT is currently reviewing its 2016 resurfacing and overall construction program for the North Central region.
Motorists can check conditions on more than 40,000 roadway miles by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, is free and available 24 hours a day, providing traffic delay/traffic speed info, weather forecasts, and access to more than 770 traffic cameras.
511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional Twitter alerts accessible on the 511PA Web site.
Follow PennDOT on Twitter at www.twitter.com/511PAStateCOLL and find more PennDOT info at www.penndot.gov.