Lt. Gov. Austin Davis and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation announced Thursday the state has awarded $132 million in discretionary funds to help upgrade three major bridges — the Fort Duquesne Bridge, the West End Bridge and the McKees Rocks Bridge.

That money will be used to jump-start ongoing design work to improve the bridges, which have been identified as high-priority projects, but PennDOT didn’t have the money to move forward to construction. The special grants — $60 million for Fort Duquesne, $47 million for West End and $25 million for McKees Rocks — only cover a portion of the estimated costs for the projects but will move the work up by several years, said Jason Zang, PennDOT’s district executive for Allegheny, Beaver and Lawrence counties.

During a news conference at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, Downtown, PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll said local officials convinced the administration that the bridges need to be upgraded before they deteriorate to the point where they need serious weight restrictions.

“We can’t put off this work much longer,” Davis said. “We have to take action now.”

Zang said the bridge projects are in various stages of design so it hasn’t been determined where construction will begin first. They will not be rehabilitated at the same time because the other two bridges will serve as alternative routes while one is under construction.

“They are at least a couple of years away,” Zang said. “We’ll go through the design process and see which one is ready first. McKees Rocks is probably the closest because mostly we are going to paint it, and Fort Duquesne is the most complicated.”

The special state funding provides an additional benefit, Zang said, because it means the cost of the bridge work will not have to come from the district’s annual construction package of about $350 million a year. Another $162 million can be spent on other local projects that can be done sooner because that money won’t be used on the bridges.

“That [special funding] will help get other projects moving,” he said.

State Rep. Aerion Abney, D-North Side, said the long-standing joke is that Pittsburghers live in their own neighborhoods and react negatively to the idea of crossing a bridge. That’s not true, he said, because many of his constituents have to cross bridges to obtain food, medical care and other life necessities.

“People cross the bridges all the time,” he said. “I can’t overstate the [importance] of this funding.”

Darrin Kelly, president of the Allegheny-Fayette Central Labor Council, said the projects will create about 1,300 construction jobs with good union wages.

“That’s important, but we can’t overlook the people,” he said. “Our bridges are our gateway.”

Upgrades for those three bridges have been on PennDOT’s wish list for several years. In August 2022, the agency applied unsuccessfully for a $165 million federal competitive grant that would have used part of $12.5 billion in competitive funds available under the Biden administration’s infrastructure program.

It packaged the bridges together because they are among the region’s busiest and are located within a few miles of each other between Point State Park and McKees Rocks.

The Fort Duquesne Bridge, which crosses the Allegheny River between the park and Pittsburgh’s North Side, has had several incidents in recent years where chunks have fallen from the bridge into parking lots and streets under it. The 921-foot double-deck bridge is in line for a new deck, expansion dam replacement and structural steel repairs.

In addition to the bridge itself, 19 ramps and smaller bridges at the North Side end would be included in the work.

The projected cost of that work is $162 million.

The McKees Rocks Bridge, the longest in Allegheny, Beaver and Lawrence counties at about 5,900 feet, also needs a new deck and structure work at an estimated cost of $90 million. The bridge spans the Ohio River between the city’s Brighton Heights neighborhood at Route 65 and McKees Rocks at Route 51.

That bridge is in the second phase of a $22.4 million project to replace sidewalks and upgrade a series of ramps on the Route 51 end of the structure.

Although the West End Bridge was added to the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission’s Transportation Improvement Plan two years ago for $1.6 million in planning funds, PennDOT included it in the federal grant application in an effort to move it along faster. The bridge is 1,979 feet long and crosses the Ohio River to join the city’s Chateau and West End neighborhoods.

A total rehab of that bridge is estimated at $120 million.

Zang said the agency will continue to seek conditional federal funding for the projects.

View the full article at unionprogress.com.

State and local officials announced Thursday a $132 million-dollar plan to make repairs to three of Pittsburgh’s busiest bridges.

Fort Duquesne, West End, and McKees Rocks, these are the bridges the new investments will focus on.

PA Lieutenant Governor Austin Davis told KDKA Radio how the funds will be distributed amongst the major bridges

“That $132 million includes $60 million to preserve and rehab the Fort Duquesne Bridge as well as multiple approach spans to the bridge,” said Davis. “It includes $47 million more for the West End Bridge and it also includes $25 million for the McKees Rocks Bridge.

Transportation Secretary Mike Carrol noted how design work still needs to be done. The repairs to come need to be measured in months and years.

Built in 1959, the last rehab project on the Fort Duquesne Bridge was in 2009. An average of 18,158 drivers use the lower deck of the bridge every day.

The McKees Rocks Bridge is currently under renovation and the last West End Bridge rehabilitation was in 1991.

“There are significant needs across our transportation network, and certainly in southwest Pennsylvania,” said PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll. “Thanks to the leadership at the federal level that got us the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, more federal funds are available for our program, and thanks to the smart planning by the Shapiro Administration and the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission, we’re making the most of our federal and state dollars and investing funds in meaningful projects that will benefit Pennsylvania communities.”

View the full article at audacy.com.

The Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission is awarding Butler $1,545,356 in grant funding to support sidewalk and pedestrian safety improvements along downtown Main Street. This project will make improvements to sidewalks and crosswalks, and increase accessibility for both local students and residents.

“The City of Butler is a vital part of our county’s economy and Main Street is frequented by all county residents,” said Leslie Osche, chairwoman of the Butler County Commissioners. “This funding will ensure that our sidewalks are safe for not only county residents and visitors, but our local students who use it as a way to get to and from their schools downtown. This project helps to ensure that their safety remains at the forefront of ongoing revitalization efforts.”

The Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission recently completed the selection process for its discretionary competitive grant program, which selects certain projects in the region to receive federal funding. The organization has a selection committee that reviews grant applications submitted from counties and municipalities within its coverage area.

“The city is vibrant and we have so much to look forward to,” said Mayor Bob Dandoy. “We are very fortunate to work closely with our county commissioners, and Joe Saeler from the Butler County Community Development Corporation.”

Dandoy said Saeler played an instrumental throughout the grant application process.

“When we all work together towards a common goal, our students, residents, and business community will reap the benefits,” Dandoy said.

The Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission receives funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation that it can award to improvement projects which in three areas: Congestion Mitigation Air Quality program, Carbon Reduction program and the Transportation Alternatives Set Aside program.

“Awarding this grant to the city of Butler so that it can increase pedestrian safety for its local residents and students is one of the ways that the (Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission) works to make that happen,” said Rich Fitzgerald, Executive Director of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission. “Students need to be kept safe on their way to and from school and when we are able to play a role in ensuring that happens — we are living up to our commitment to serve and support our region.”

View the full article at butlereagle.com.

The apparent low bid to rehabilitate Pittsburgh’s closed Charles Anderson Bridge is slightly lower than city officials had projected.

Last month, city engineer Eric Setzler had estimated upgrading the span that carries the Boulevard of the Allies in Oakland into Schenley Park would cost about $50 million. Mosites Construction Co.’s bid of $48.5 million was the lowest of four received, the city reported Monday.

The other bids ranged from $51.8 million to $56.6 million.

Construction should start by the end of the year.

The project has been on the fast track since March 2023, when Mayor Ed Gainey successfully lobbied the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission to add full rehabilitation of the bridge to its project list. The 780-foot bridge had been closed a few weeks earlier for emergency repairs that would have taken four months and cost $1 million to $2 million, but it remained closed after SPC’s decision to move it up on the priority list.

The city entered a partnership with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation to put engineering and design work on the fast track and finished at the end of last year. The city will oversee construction, which is expected to take about two years.

The project also will include replacement of the Panther Hollow Overpass, a nearby small bridge with problems that would have created another traffic disruption if it were replaced a few years from now.

Anderson has been rated in poor condition since 2012 because of advanced deterioration of the concrete deck and advanced section loss throughout the structure. It opened in 1938 and carries about 20,000 vehicles a day.

This is the first of the major bridges owned by the city to move forward to construction since Gainey ordered a review of its 146 structures after the January 2022 collapse of the Fern Hollow Bridge above Frick Park in Squirrel Hill barely three weeks after he took office. The National Transportation Safety Board ruled in February that collapse, which injured nine people, occurred because the city ignored repeated inspection reports that showed serious problems with the structure.

Consultant WSP Inc. found, in a report released last month, the bridges will need $471.6 million of bridge work over the next 32 years. That includes $135.4 million for nine that need immediate work, including Anderson.

View the full article at unionprogress.com.

The Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission will hold a meeting in Indiana today to talk about Indiana County’s Transportation and Improvement Projects, and the public will get a chance to comment on that plan.

The TIP plans for short-term transportation and infrastructure projects and is updated every two years.  When that is updated, these meetings are held to inform the public about the plan.  A brief summary will be provided to attendees then the staff will field questions from the floor.

The meeting will be held at the PA CareerLink office on Indian Springs Road at 3:00 this afternoon.  If you can’t attend, but still want to share your thoughts, you can do so by submitting written comments by email or an online input form.  You can also send comments to Ronda Craig, Southwestern PA Commission, 42 21st Street, Suite 101, Pittsburgh, PA 15222. The meeting will also be streamed over Zoom Video Chat.

View the full story at wccsradio.com.

Officials at the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission (SPC) have opened their public comment period for community members to share any concerns about local infrastructure.

As a part of their Transportation Improvement Program, the organization has opened an online survey for residents of Beaver County to share which potential infrastructure projects are most important to their communities until June 7. The SPC held an in-person meeting on Thursday detailing some of the previously suggested projects, but this open comment period will allow the public to share their ideas on what should be addressed by their studies.

These projects will become a part of the organization’s Long-Range Transportation Plan over the next 25 years. As a part of this strategy, smaller projects such as road improvements and traffic flows will be proposed to municipalities to improve infrastructure in smaller bursts. From 2025-28, over $4.5 billion is expected to be invested in areas around the region.

In addition to the online form, residents can submit comments via by email at comments@spcregion.org or through traditional mail by sending a letter to the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission’s address at PO Box 101429, Pittsburgh, PA 15237.

View the full article at timesonline.com.

Officials at the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission (SPC) have opened their public comment period for community members to share any concerns about local infrastructure.

As a part of their Transportation Improvement Program, the organization has opened an online survey for residents of Beaver County to share which potential infrastructure projects are most important to their communities until June 7. The SPC held an in-person meeting on Thursday detailing some of the previously suggested projects, but this open comment period will allow the public to share their ideas on what should be addressed by their studies.

These projects will become a part of the organization’s Long-Range Transportation Plan over the next 25 years. As a part of this strategy, smaller projects such as road improvements and traffic flows will be proposed to municipalities to improve infrastructure in smaller bursts. From 2025-28, over $4.5 billion is expected to be invested in areas around the region.

In addition to the online form, residents can submit comments via by email at comments@spcregion.org or through traditional mail by sending a letter to the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission’s address at PO Box 101429, Pittsburgh, PA 15237.

View the full article at ellwoodcityledger.com.

Jennifer Liptak — who spent 26 years in Allegheny County government, including 12 as the top assistant to former County Executive Rich Fitzgerald — is following her old boss to the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission.

The county announced Friday that Liptak resigned as county manager for new County Executive Sara Innamorato to join the commission in the newly created position of deputy executive director/chief operating officer. Liptak was Fitzgerald’s chief of staff for 12 years and finished as county manager in the final few months of his term after previously working for the district attorney’s office and serving as County Council’s budget director.

“I’ve been thinking for a long time about work-life balance,” Liptak said in an interview Friday after conducting the monthly meeting of the Pittsburgh Regional Transit board, where she is the vice chair.

“I had the opportunity to stay [with the county]. I felt it was the right time to move on to new opportunities.”

In a news release, Innamorato said it was “bittersweet” for Liptak to move on.

“I want to personally thank her for shepherding my administration with an exceptionally professional and smooth transition for the last six months,” Innamorato said. “We have learned so much from her and enjoyed working with her immensely, but after 12 demanding years as a chief of staff to the county executive and county manager we respect her decision to start a new chapter in her professional journey.”

Fitzgerald said in a news release from SPC that Liptak had a lot to do with improvements in many aspects of the county and he’s pleased she is joining him at SPC. In January, Fitzgerald went to the 10-county planning agency, which sets priorities for spending federal transportation funds, when term limits prevented him from another term as county executive.

“From the success of the airport, investing in infrastructure, rehabilitating bridges, the vibrancy of the trails and parks, and making the county government’s operations more efficient, Jennifer has been instrumental in bringing these initiatives to fruition,” he said. “Now, Jennifer will be able to use her outstanding qualities and experiences to support the 10-county region with its transportation, infrastructure, economic, workforce and quality of life priorities.”

At SPC, Liptak will oversee a 50-member staff and report directly to Fitzgerald.

Deputy County Manager Steve Pilarski will serve as acting manager until a new one is selected by Innamorato and confirmed by County Council.

View the full article at unionprogress.com.

An engineering firm with offices in Columbus has been tapped to join the team trying to restore Amtrak service in the city.

HNTB Corporation will be tasked with planning and development services for the Midwest Connect route, a potential route connecting Pittsburgh to Chicago via Columbus and Fort Wayne, Indiana. The route would include stops in Marysville, Columbus and Newark.

The engineering firm joins a multi-entity partnership made up of the City of Fort Wayne, the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission and the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission.

“This is a major step forward in the public-private effort to reconnect Central Ohio to the nation’s passenger rail network,” said William Murdock, MORPC executive director, in a press release. “This partnership across several states helps to advance the required work to qualify for federal funds for implementation. It builds on years of work showing passenger rail is a critical investment for prosperity and attracting talent.”

The firm specializes in transportation and has worked on more than 40 passenger rail corridors across the country, according to the release.

HNTB was awarded a contract of up to $450,000 to review past studies, identify remaining gaps and establish the scope, schedule and budget for the remaining planning work, according to the MORPC. The contract for the initial tasks ends in June 2025.

The funds come from a $500,000 grant the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) awarded the City of Fort Wayne for the project in December.

The Midwest Connect is one of two proposed routes that include Columbus. The other is the “3C + D,” connecting Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton and Cincinnati, sponsored by the Ohio Rail Development Commission. It has also received a $500,000 grant for an initial study.

Last month, the Central Ohio Passenger Rail Committee, a temporary select panel composed of leaders from surrounding municipalities, was formed to help MORPC advance the bid to restore Amtrak routes through Columbus by providing data and guiding strategy throughout the multi-year process.

Design and construction will take several years to build stations and upgrade existing freight lines to handle 79-mph passenger trains. MORPC has said service could be online by 2030.

“This project represents a transformative opportunity for our region,” said Parag Agrawal, MORPC chief mobility and infrastructure officer, in the release. “By enhancing connectivity and accessibility, we are not only fostering economic development but also promoting sustainable and efficient transportation solutions for the future.”

Amtrak shut down its last route through Columbus in 1979.

View the full article at bizjournals.com.

The City of Fort Wayne, in partnership with the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission and the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission, recently retained HNTB Corporation to assist with implementing the Midwest Connect Corridor Identification and Development grant.

A collaborative effort to connect Chicago, Fort Wayne, Columbus and Pittsburgh with passenger rail service is gaining momentum with the addition of HNTB Corporation’s expertise.

In December 2023, the Federal Railroad Administration awarded the City of Fort Wayne a $500,000 Corridor Identification and Development grant. The federal grant funds the development of a scope, schedule, and budget for performing corridor planning and preparing a Service Development Plan to implement passenger rail service from Pittsburgh to Chicago via Fort Wayne and Columbus.

HNTB was awarded up to $450,000 to review past studies, remaining gaps, and establish the scope, schedule, and budget for the remaining planning work for the program. The contract for these initial tasks goes through June 2025.

HNTB, a consultant with extensive experience in transportation planning and design, has worked on more than 40 passenger rail corridors nationwide. HNTB played a key role in preparing the CID grant request and offers fully integrated services for all project phases, including feasibility studies, planning, environmental review, conceptual design, final design and construction management.

“This is a major step forward in the public-private effort to reconnect Central Ohio to the nation’s passenger rail network. This partnership across several states helps to advance the required work to qualify for federal funds for implementation. It builds on years of work showing passenger rail is a critical investment for prosperity and attracting talent,” William Murdock, MORPC executive director, stated.

Passenger rail on the Midwest Connect Corridor has garnered support from several key stakeholders, including the Northern Indiana Passenger Rail Association, Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission, Michiana Area Council of Governments, Northeastern Indiana Regional Coordinating Council, Lima/Allen County Regional Planning Commission, Licking County Area Transportation Study, Ohio Mid-Eastern Governments Association and Brooke-Hancock-Jefferson Metropolitan Planning Commission and All Aboard Ohio.

View the full article at inkfreenews.com.