Multi-million dollar U.S. Route 219 bypass projects in Bradford
and Johnsonburg have had a “major effect” on transportation
improvements across the region, limiting funding that could be used
to upgrade the area’s deteriorating bridges.

The situation belies a need to change the way the transportation
system is funded, with more and more projects fighting for a
limited pool of money, according to officials with the North
Central Pennsylvania Regional Planning and Development
Commission.

“We need to have some sort of (monetary) enhancement for these
systems,” North Central Transportation Planning Director Amy
Kessler said Thursday during an open house in Foster Township
seeking input from residents on the agency’s draft Long-Range
Transportation Plan for the region.

According to Keesler, the top three issues of concern for
residents during the open houses include: north-south access from
Interstate 86 in New York state to Interstate 80, the condition of
the area’s bridges and access to public transportation.

“That’s really the purpose of the long-range plan,” Keesler
said, “to identify the trends and issues affecting the region. We
are seeing trends toward structurally deficient bridges and, in the
elderly population, a need for public transportation.”

Officials said a total of $825 million is projected to be
allotted for the North Central region over the lifespan of the
plan, which runs through 2030.

The completion of the bypass projects will play a large role in
freeing up some funding for use on future endeavors. The funding
comes from a both the federal and state governments.

Work on a bridge along Interstate 80 near Clearfield and an
access road to the DuBois airport have also taken a large chunk out
of the monetary pot.

“Those four projects are financially hurting what we can get
done,” Keesler said. “We are coming to a crest of the hill on those
large projects.”

Officials said those “big ticket” items have overwhelmed the
local share of the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP).

Work on the Bradford bypass is entering its second year and
comes at a price tag of $55 million. The project includes the
complete rehabilitation of the bypass, bridges and related ramps,
along with a section of North Kendall Avenue. Meanwhile, the
Johnsonburg bypass is slated to cost $38 million, and similar to
the Bradford project, is also being done in two phases. When
completed, motorists will travel around the heart of the borough
and the paper mill.

Keesler said as more money becomes available for projects,
officials are turning their focus to rehabilitating and upgrading
the region’s numerous bridges.

“We will be able to concentrate on the bridges and doing
betterments on the system, such as resurfacing projects and the
routine maintenance of the system,” Keesler said.

According to the executive summary of the long-range plan, the
North Central region receives about $47 million annually to
develop, maintain and operate the state transportation system,
which includes a network of 1,000 state-owned bridges.

As it stands, officials said McKean County has 49 percent of
substandard bridges; by comparison, the state has 43 percent
substandard spans.

Keesler said with the larger projects coming to a close, that
opened the door to gain some funding for the Kennedy Street bridge
project in the City of Bradford.

The bridge is currently closed to traffic due to concerns over
its condition. However, City Clerk John Peterson announced in March
that engineers have been working on a plan that would allow traffic
on the eastern lane of the bridge, which takes traffic out of the
city.

The bridge is currently in the preliminary engineering phase,
which is slated to come at a price tag of $300,000. Officials said
the project is in line to receive additional funding during the
2009-2012 TIP. The total project cost is estimated at $2.1
million.

“The money comes into us based on need,” Keesler said, adding
the agency works in cooperation with the Pennsylvania Department of
Transportation to determine the projects most in need of being
completed.

Political wrangling could also play a part in how much future
funding arrives on North Central’s doorstep.

In his budget address, Gov. Ed Rendell announced he would be
focusing on fixing the state’s transportation system, including the
possible installation of a gross profits tax on oil companies. The
proposal has met resistance across the region from local petroleum
industry officials and politicians.

The final version of the plan will be recommended for adoption
in June.