The Wolf Administration Monday joined Sen. Bob Casey to highlight projects that will be bid in 2022 in the six-county east central region and discussed the benefits coming to regional roads and bridges due to the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL).
“Pennsylvania is greatly benefitting from the passing of the Bipartisan Infrastructure law,” said Governor Tom Wolf. “We are fortunate to have this funding which is being used to address additional infrastructure needs.”
Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) Acting Executive Deputy Secretary Melissa Batula said, “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.”
The event was held near the Interstate 78 interchange with Route 61 which is currently being reconstructed under a $125.6 million contract.
“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. The Interstate 78 exchange project and others throughout Berks County and the region will make it easier and safer for Pennsylvanians to travel and commute. 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,” Senator Casey said.
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:
- approximately 116 miles of paving;
- approximately 31 bridges will be repaired or replaced; and
- approximately 265 miles of roadway will be seal coated.
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:
- Reading Area Transportation Study will receive at least $18.4 million more;
- Lehigh Valley Transportation Study will receive at least $20.3 million more; and
- Northeastern Pennsylvania Alliance will receive at least $12.1 million more.
“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:
- Project to improve I-78 including patching, milling, paving and bridge preservation in Berks, Lehigh, and Northampton counties, $23.3 million;
- Reconstructing I-78 between Exit 35 (Route 143/Lenhartsville) and Lehigh County line in Greenwich Township, Berks County, $168.3 million;
- Reconstruction and widening on I-78, including rehabilitating the bridge over the Schuylkill River and upgrading the Route 61 interchange, in Tilden Township and Hamburg Borough, Berks County, $125.6 million;
- Intersection improvements on U.S. 222 in Maidencreek Township, Berks County, $26.7 million;
- Reconstructing and widening of Route 443 in Lehighton Borough and Mahoning Township, Carbon County, $21.2 million;
- Repairing and resurfacing U.S. 22 in South Whitehall and Upper Macungie townships, Lehigh County, $17.3 million;
- Installing a roundabout at the intersection of U.S. 222, Route 863 and Schantz Road in Upper Macungie Township, Lehigh County, $14.2 million;
- Milling and paving Route 248 in East Allen Township, Lower Nazareth Township, Upper Nazareth Township, Bath Borough, and Nazareth Borough, Northampton County, $3.4 million;
- Traffic signal improvements on Route 512 in Bath Borough, Northampton County, $1.2 million; and
- Milling and paving on U.S. 22 in Bethlehem Township, Palmer Township and Wilson Borough and Route 33 in Bethlehem Township and Palmer Township, Northampton County, $13.6 million.
Notable projects that are expected to begin this year include:
- Resurface Route 562 between Business Route 422/Perkiomen Avenue and Shelbourne Road in St. Lawrence Borough and Exeter Township, Berks County, $1.4 million-$1.6 million (est.);
- Resurface Old Route 22 between the Bethel Township line and St. Michaels Road in Upper Tulpehocken, Upper Bern, and Tilden Townships, Berks County, $3.1 million – $3.4 million (est.);
- Resurfacing Route 737 between Zettlemoyer and Eagle Point roads in Greenwich and Maxatawny townships, Berks County, $2.3 million-$2.5 million (est.);
- Resurfacing Route 903/North Street between Front and Center streets in Jim Thorpe Borough, Carbon County, $1 million-$1.2 million (est.);
- Resurfacing Route 29/Cedar Crest Boulevard from Chestnut Street to Briarwood Lane in Emmaus Borough and Salisbury Township, Lehigh County, $2 million-$3 million (est.);
- Replacing Route 329 “Cementon” Bridge over the Lehigh River in Whitehall Township, Lehigh County and Northampton Borough, Northampton County, $13 million-$15 million (est.);
- Resurfacing Route 873 from Route 309 to Iron Alley in Slatington Borough, North Whitehall and Washington townships, Lehigh County, $3 million-$4 million (est.);
- Resurfacing Route 33 between the Northampton County line and Lower Cherry Valley Road in Hamilton and Ross townships, Monroe County, $5.9 million-$6.2 million (est.)
- Resurfacing Business Route 209 between Eagle Valley Corner and Marshalls Creek in Smithfield Township, Monroe County, $2.2 million-$2.4 million (est.);
- Realigning and reconstructing Exit 308/Prospect Street interchange on I-80 in East Stroudsburg Borough, Monroe County, $93.8 million;
- Resurfacing Route 61 between Mill Creek Avenue and University Drive in the City of Pottsville, Palo Alto Borough, Schuylkill Haven Borough and North Manheim Township, Schuylkill County, $5.9 million-$6.1 million (est.);
- Resurfacing U.S. 209 between Patterson Street and the Carbon County line in Tamaqua and Coaldale boroughs, Schuylkill County, $1.9 million-$2.1 million; and
- Replacing Route 443/Columbia Street Bridge over the Schuylkill River in Schuylkill Haven Borough, Schuylkill County, $4.2 million.
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. 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.
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.
Subscribe to PennDOT news and traffic alerts in Berks, Carbon, Lehigh, Monroe, Northampton, and Schuylkill counties at www.penndot.pa.gov/District5.
Information about infrastructure in District 5, including completed work and significant projects, is available at www.penndot.pa.gov/D5Results. Find PennDOT’s planned and active construction projects at www.projects.penndot.gov.
Follow local PennDOT on Twitter and like the department on Facebook and Instagram.
