Cris Collingwood//April 18, 2022
Cris Collingwood//April 18, 2022
Gov. Tom Wolf and Sen. Bob Casey highlighted projects slated for Lehigh Valley because of the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure law (BIL) today.
Wolf and Casey highlighted projects that will go out for bid and discussed the benefits coming to regional roads and bridges during an event that was held near the Interstate 78 interchange with Route 61 which is currently being reconstructed under a $125.6 million contract.
“Pennsylvania is greatly benefitting from the passing of the Bipartisan Infrastructure law,” said Wolf. “We are fortunate to have this funding which is being used to address additional infrastructure needs.”
“We have many meaningful projects that will modernize our infrastructure while creating sustainable, good-paying jobs that will be transformative for our transportation system and our local economies.” said Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) Acting Executive Deputy Secretary Melissa Batula.
“Thanks to the infrastructure law we are beginning to rebuild our roads, bridges and more vital infrastructure across Pennsylvania, and we are jumpstarting projects that have been put on hold,” Casey said.
“Interstate 78 exchange project and others throughout Berks County and the region will make it easier and safer for Pennsylvanians to travel and commute,” he said. “These construction projects will also create good-paying jobs. We are making progress to rebuild our infrastructure and I will continue to work in Congress to bring infrastructure investments to the Commonwealth.”
The total value of projects under construction this year in PennDOT District 5 covering Berks, Carbon, Lehigh, Monroe, Northampton, and Schuylkill counties is approximately $500 million. Overall highlights in the district’s 2022 construction season include:
These improvements include projects supported and accelerated by the BIL. In 2022 alone the BIL is bringing at least $50.8 million in additional funding to the District 5 region to be allocated by the department and its local Metropolitan and Rural Planning Organization (MPO/RPO) partners:
“The BIL will advance multiple projects that may have otherwise been delayed,” said District 5 Executive Michael W. Rebert. “This funding is essential to move these projects forward.”
Notable ongoing projects that will continue this year include:
Notable projects that are expected to begin this year include:
As construction projects are underway in the region, the traveling public can anticipate seeing many work zones and are urged to keep in mind their safety and the safety of highway workers, PennDOT said.
Motorists can check conditions on major roadways 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 1,000 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.