Transportation plan to impact area
The state Transportation Commission released an updated 12-year transportation program outlining how the state will spend the more than $21 billion expected to be generated by increased gasoline prices and motorist fees included in the new highway funding law enacted last year.
The plan expects $63.2 billion to be available during the next 12 years for improvements to roads, bridges, transit systems, airports and railroads. The last time the plan was updated two years ago, available funds were estimated at $41.6 million.
The update includes new revenue expected to be generated by Act 89, the transportation law enacted in December that increased gasoline taxes and motorist fees. When fully implemented, the act is expected to bring in about $2.3 billion annually for transportation programs.
Robbie Matesic, executive director of Greene County’s Department of Economic Development, said the plan is what the county expected.
“It was developed during a period of flux in regard to transportation funding,” she said. Act 89 was just ramping up and federal highway funds through MAP-21 had not yet been reauthorized by Congress, she explained. The reauthorization of the Map 21 funding was completed last month.
“We’ll now be working on future projects that we’d like to get into the plan,” Matesic said.
The plan is updated every two years and the county has several projects it would like to see added in the second and the third four-year segments of the plan, Matesic said.
They include improvements to the Route 19/21 Morrisville corridor, to the area around the Mt. Morris I-79 interchange and to Crawford Bridge in Waynesburg. The county also would like to see a realignment of the Route 221 and Route 19 intersection in Ruff Creek and safety improvement on Route 21 at the fairground and swimming pool, she said.
The first four years of the plan includes 18 projects for Greene County estimated to cost more than $44 million. They include:
• The realignment of Baileys Crossroad on Route 21; construction is scheduled to start in 2016; estimated cost is $4.9 million.
• The resurfacing of Route 18 from Route 21 to the county line in Franklin, Washington and Morris townships; work is expected to start in 2015; estimated cost is $6.9 million.
• The reconstruction of the Sugar Run Road and Porter Street intersection; construction is expected to start in 2017; estimated costs is $3.1 million.
• The resurfacing of Route 21, from Browns Creek , 5.87 miles west; construction will start in 2016; estimate costs $4.4 million.
• The resurfacing of Route 218 from Bluff Ridge Road to Cook Avenue in Franklin Township, work is expected to begin in 2018, estimated cost, $4.1 million.
• The resurfacing of Route 21, from Ridge Road to Gwynn Road in Jefferson Township, work expected to start in 2015; estimated cost, $3 million.
• The widening of Cook Avenue in Franklin Township, work is expected to begin in 2018; estimated cost $2.8 million.
Bridges that will be replaced and which are expected to be started in the first four years are: Route 1011 bridge over South Fork Ten Mile Creek, Jefferson Township; Route 1014 bridge over Castile Run, Morgan Township; Route 1016 bridge over Little Whiteley Creek, Monongahela Township; Route 2003 bridge over Ten Mile Creek, Franklin Township; Route 3001 bridge over Wheeling Creek, Richhill Township; County Bridge No. 15, Route 634 over Muddy Creek, Cumberland Township; County Bridge No. 55, Route 349 over Bloody Run, Gilmore Township; County Bridge No. 36, Route 353 over Muddy Creek, Wayne Township; Route 572 bridge over Whiteley Creek, Whiteley Township; and County Bridge No. 78 over Owens Run, Richhill Township.