It appears the second phase of the U.S. Route 219 Bradford
Bypass project – from just above Kendall Avenue to the New York
state line – could be delayed a year due to less discretionary
transportation funding than expected.
That’s the word from Pennsylvania Department of Transportation
officials, who said that portion of the project has been taken off
the agency’s draft 2007 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP).
The project was slated to be let out to bid in December of
2007.
PennDOT officials insist, however, the project is still on the
drawing table and will be completed as soon as additional funding
becomes available. Local officials learned of the lack of funding
during a recent rural area transportation planning program hosted
by the North Central Pennsylvania Regional Planning and Development
Commission in Ridgway.
“As far as we are concerned in our office, we are going to
continue with the design of the project so that if money becomes
available, we could let the project as soon as possible,” PennDOT
Portfolio Manager Thomas Zurat said in an e-mail to The Era Monday.
“If the project is delayed a year, as it is looking that it will
be, we don’t expect any functional issues that would cause traffic
delays or safety issues.”
As it stands, Mascaro Construction Co. of Pittsburgh has
recently begun working on the $55 million reconstruction of the
6.93-mile aging bypass from Owens Way to North Kendall Avenue.
Crews there have been removing guiderails, right-of-way fences and
overhead signs in the northbound lanes of the highway. Workers are
also busy in the area of the Mill Street bridge performing sewer
line and utility work.
As part of the preliminary work – Phase I of the project –
northbound traffic will also be restricted to one lane from Owens
Way to Elm Street until further notice. Work had been delayed in
late winter three times due to inclement weather.
Officials said around mid-May work will begin on the complete
rehabilitation of the highway and related ramps, including the
removal and replacement of a handful of bridges in the southbound
lanes, which previous studies have indicated the highway is in
worse condition there. During that time, traffic will be re-routed
onto the northbound passing lane.
According to PennDOT Community Relations Coordinator Marla
Fannin, Phase II of the project can’t be funded “because there is
not enough base funding to include the project.” The allocation
being monitored is referred to as “spike” funding, which is derived
from the state’s federal highway allocations and awarded to
priority projects above the state’s transportation budget. The
funding is handed out at the discretion of the governor and
transportation secretary.
“The project should be able to receive funding as part of the
2009 TIP …,” Fannin said.
Zurat said in regards to the current project, both the north and
southbound lanes will be reconstructed, adding the “current project
is completely funded and will be completed as designed. It is
scheduled to terminate half-way between the Kendall Avenue and
Foster Brook exits.”
Zurat said Phase II of the project will be revisited again next
year, when the agency puts together its draft 2009 TIP, which will
need to be in place by the start of the 2009 federal fiscal year,
or October of 2008.
“Therefore, we are anticipating to be able to let the second
phase of the bypass in December 2008,” Zurat said. “The northern
section of the bypass is in better shape than the southern
section.”
Budget projections showed more than $120 million in spike
spending for projects before revisions were made, Harold Nanovic of
PennDOT told those in attendance at the North Central meeting.
According to Zurat, the rehabilitation of North Kendall Avenue
from East Main Street to the approach of the bridge that spans the
Tunungwant Creek located near the American Refining Group is still
scheduled under the current work.
During a meeting between PennDOT officials and local businesses
and public officials last month, ARG representatives expressed
concern about the North Kendall Avenue work, particularly about the
ability for tractor-trailers to be able enter the refinery.
Fannin said the ongoing work is “progressing well,” noting it’s
too early to give a determination on the project being on
schedule.
Original estimates had the project running for four years, with
an additional segment from the Bolivar Drive area to the New York
state border being completed in 2009.
