CLEARFIELD – Clearfield County is actively soliciting applications from local municipalities for projects that would repair or replace structurally deficient bridges, announced Jodi Brennan, planning director, at Tuesday’s commissioners’ meeting.
Brennan said that the projects will be funded with the county’s Act 13 At-Risk Bridge funds. Projects with scopes of work to remove the bridges from structurally deficient status will receive consideration.
Act 13 of 2012 established a Marcellus Legacy Fund that allocates a portion of the Marcellus Shale Impact Fee to the Highway Bridge Improvement Restricted Account in the Motor License Fund.
These funds are subsequently distributed to counties proportionately based on population. These funds are to be used to fund the replacement or repair of locally-owned at-risk deteriorated bridges.
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation has defined an at-risk, deteriorated bridge to be one that is structurally deficient, including those that are posted with weight restrictions.
Act 13 requires PennDOT to approve a submitted plan to repair at-risk deteriorated bridges. The Transportation Improvement Program will be the official for approval of these at-risk bridges.
The county will work with the North Central Pennsylvania Regional Planning & Development Commission through the Rural Transportation Planning Organization to program any funds awarded to the region’s TIP.
Brennan said projects will be reviewed and ranked based on meeting eligibility requirements, amount of funding leverage, community impact, level of project support and collaboration and project timeliness.
Program guidelines and applications are available upon request by contacting the Clearfield County Planning & Community Development Office, 212 E. Locust St., Suite 128, Clearfield, PA 16830. The office can also be reached by phone at 814-765-5149.
All applications are due back to the CCPCD Office by 4 p.m. June 30.
