Southwestern Pa. transit plan allocates $1.5 billion for bridge, other infrastructure improvements

Roads and bridges in Southwestern Pennsylvania will see a $300 million boost in funding because of the infrastructure law enacted in 2021.

The extra money is included in a regional plan for $1.5 billion in transportation projects that is set to be approved June 27 by the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission.

The commission’s Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) covers 2023 through 2026 and includes increases in funding for bridges, highway safety improvements and bike-and-pedestrian infrastructure compared to the previous program.

The SPC is responsible for allocating state and federal funds to local transportation infrastructure projects across 10 Southwestern Pennsylvania counties that surround Pittsburgh.

Among the $300 million increase in funding for roads and bridges under the commission’s jurisdiction, $100 million is earmarked just for bridges.

At a June 1 public meeting, SPC staff explained that the increase in funding for Pittsburgh-area transportation infrastructure is thanks to the $1.2 trillion infrastructure law passed by Congress in 2021.

“With passage of the bipartisan law, the highway and bridge funding is back up to higher levels,” said SPC director of transportation planning Domenic D’Andrea.

Roads and bridges are the biggest winners, but bike-and-pedestrian improvements, while still comparatively small, also saw a big jump and increased five-fold compared to the last TIP.

Funds for public transit also saw a modest jump. D’Andrea said this includes some money for capital improvements, but most is for operations. The majority of public transit funds are funneled to Port Authority of Allegheny County — rebranded Pittsburgh Regional Transit last week — the region’s largest public transit agency.

Allegheny Valley

Big bridge repairs are coming to the Alle-Kiski Valley, thanks to allocations made in the commission’s TIP. The New Kensington Bridge and Tarentum Bridge will see restoration work. SPC officials said there are more than 130 projects on the TIP in Allegheny County alone, combining for about $96 million in funding.

“In Allegheny County, the story really is major bridge investment,” said Ryan Gordon, SPC manager of the Transportation Program Development.

Tarentum Council President Scott Dadowski said any investments the TIP brings to the region would be a boon to Tarentum residents and the borough itself. The TIP is allocating $12.7 million to restore the Tarentum Bridge.

“The Tarentum Bridge is obviously a major roadway that leads motorists through and into our town,” Dadowski said. “Any improvements to the bridge in terms of safety measures, traffic flow and overall condition would be met with open arms.”

The Tarentum Bridge is rated in fair condition by PennDOT, but Dadowski said events like the Jan. 28 collapse of the Fern Hollow Bridge in Pittsburgh shows how important it is to be proactive about bridge repair.

Some other funds allocated to the Alle-Kiski Valley include $17 million for preservation of the New Kensington Bridge, $1 million for preservation of the Freeport Bridge Truss and $2.6 million to upgrade nearly a dozen railroad crossings in New Kensington.

Angela Saunders of PennDOT District 12 said many upgrades to railroad crossings in one area is rare.

“This was a very big get for this area,” Saunders said.

City of Pittsburgh

The City of Pittsburgh also is set to get a large amount of funding to repair bridges. Nearly $40 million is allocated to bridges, including repairs for the West End Bridge, the Swinburne Bridge and the Charles Anderson Bridge in Schenley Park, which has drawn the concern of residents with visible deterioration to its undercarriage.

Pittsburgh also is the beneficiary of nearly $41 million in funds for public transit, bike and pedestrian infrastructure, including funding to fix gaps in the city’s sidewalks and bus purchases for Pittsburgh Regional Transit.

For the region overall, the 2023-26 TIP dedicates about $18 million to the Transportation Alternatives Set-Aside Program, which expands bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure. This is more than a 500% increase in funding compared to the previous TIP

Scott Bricker is the director of bike/ped advocacy group Bike Pittsburgh and a board member of the SPC, representing Pittsburgh. He supports the funding for city bridges and is excited about the increase in bike/ped funding, but he is tempering that with the reality of how much lower the bike/ped funds are compared to funding for highways and roads.

“Of course, I want to celebrate the increased bike and pedestrian funding in the region,” Bricker said. “But it’s hard to get too excited about that level of bike/ped funding when you see a single interchange widening project is $42.5 million.”

Interstate 70 alone is set to receive more than $200 million in investment from the TIP.

Westmoreland County

Route 30 is set to get $36 million for improvements to the highway’s western section, stretches in Hempfield near corridor 95, and adaptive signal upgrades.

Westmoreland County Commissioner Gina Cerilli Thrasher, a Democrat who also serves on the SPC board, said Route 30 improvements will address safety and congestion issues on the roadway.

The TIP also invests nearly $40 million for the Laurel Valley Transportation Improvement Project. Cerilli Thrasher said this project will improve access to Arnold Palmer Airport and support the manufacturing base in and around Latrobe.

Westmoreland County is set to receive $50 million for bridge repairs, including the West Newton Bridge and the Salina Bridge. According to PennDOT, 78 of 733 state bridges that are more than 20 feet long in Westmoreland County are in poor condition.

Cerilli Thrasher said these funds are necessary for Westmoreland County.

“Continued investment in our infrastructure is crucial to ensure our roads, bridges and trail systems remain an asset countywide,” Cerilli Thrasher said. “These investments illustrate we are getting priorities done.”