PennDOT anticipates more than 146 projects in northcentral PA
On Wednesday Gov. Tom Wolf and Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) Secretary Leslie S. Richards highlighted transportation investments as PennDOT held an event outlining the anticipated 179 roadway miles that will be rehabilitated, reconstructed or resurfaced, and 66 bridges that will be improved this year in the nine-county northcentral region.
“Our commitment to improving our roads and bridges is unwavering,” said Wolf. “These projects are significant and greatly needed. Along with an increased investment to rural and local infrastructure, we will bring better transportation to the drivers of this region and to the state as a whole.”
Complementing the significant projects in the northcentral region, Wolf recently reinforced the administration’s commitment to rural roads with new plans to improve more than 1,100 rural and low-volume roadway miles and rehabilitate or replace at least 85 municipally owned bridges over five years.
“As these jobs get under way and completed, we’re making travel easier and more convenient for the motoring public,” Richards said at Wednesday’s event.
“These projects are the result of continued transportation investments, recognizing how important they are to our quality of life and the economy.”
During the media briefing, District 2 Executive Karen Michael discussed the more than $279 million in new and continuing projects the public will see in Cameron, Centre, Clearfield, Clinton, Elk, Juniata, Mifflin, McKean and Potter counties throughout the year.
Roughly 146 highway and bridge projects are anticipated to begin or continue across the region during this construction season.
“Construction in our region will result in better roads and better travel, along with new and rehabilitated bridges that will be in service for many years,” said Michael.
“With so much road work going on, it is vitally important that we keep construction workers and motorists safe. We ask that drivers be patient and cautious as they move through these projects.”
Notable projects that will continue this year include:
- Resurfacing on Route 155 in Cameron County from Emporium to the Potter County line with a box culvert replacement, super structure replacement, and preservation of three other bridges ($8.8 million);
- Roadway restoration/overlay on Interstate 80 in Centre County from mile-marker 138 to mile-marker 152; ($21.7 million);
- Bridge preservation of four structures on Route 879 in Clearfield County in the Clearfield area ($2.5 million);
- Full-depth reclamation, drainage, and paving of 12 miles of Route 46 in McKean County
($3 million);
- Route 4004 bridge replacement near the Bradford campus of the University of Pittsburgh in McKean County ($3 million);
- Bridge preservation of three structures on various roads in Mifflin County ($4.4 million); and
- A local bridge replacement of the Iva-Jen bridge on Harrison Township Road 487 over Cowanesque River in Potter County ($768,000).
Notable projects that are expected to be begin this year include:
- Route 301: a highway restoration and drainage improvement project of Business Route 322/Atherton Street in Centre County including a wide-range of utility relocations ($12.8 million);
- Reconstruction of U.S. 322 in Centre County from Potters Mills to Sand Mountain Road along with a new, local interchange, part of the three-phase Potters Mills Gap project ($83 million);
- A surface improvement project on various routes in Clearfield County for a total of 28.4 miles ($5.7 million);
- Route 64 bridge replacement over Big Fishing Creek in Clinton County ($3.3 million);
- A surface improvement project on various routes in Elk County for a total of 10.2 miles ($2.1 million);
- Route 35 bridge replacement over East Licking Creek in Juniata County ($2.3 million);
- Route 6 roadway betterment in Kane, McKean County ($5 million);
- Route 322 resurfacing from Reedsville to Burnham in Mifflin County ($8.6 million); and
- A surface improvement project on various routes in Potter County for a total of 17.8 miles ($3.9 million).
As construction projects are underway in the region, the traveling public can anticipate seeing many work zones and are urged to keep their safety and the safety of highway workers in mind.
When encountering a work zone, please drive the posted speed limit, turn on your headlights, pay close attention to signs and flaggers, and avoid all distractions.
In high traffic locations, motorists are encouraged to use both lanes of travel to the merge point and to take turns merging into the open lane.
For more information on projects occurring or being bid this year, those made possible by or accelerated by the state transportation funding plan (Act 89), or those on the department’s Four and Twelve Year Plans, visit www.projects.penndot.gov.
Motorists can check conditions on more than 40,000 roadway miles by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information and access to more than 850 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.
For more PennDOT information, visit www.penndot.gov. Follow local PennDOT information on Twitter at www.twitter.com\511PAStateCOLL.