The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) marked the completion of the 2023 construction and summer maintenance season and the 71 projects that had active work take place in District 1, which includes Crawford, Erie, Forest, Mercer, Venango, and Warren counties. Work in 2023 included paving nearly 100 miles of roadway, seal coating more than 400 miles, and replaced, rehabilitated or preserved 37 bridges.
Statewide from January through October, 5,567 roadway miles were improved, including 1,690 miles of paving. In the same timeframe, 545 state and locally owned bridges were put out for bid to be repaired, replaced, or preserved by PennDOT or industry forces. Additionally, 392 construction contracts for highway, bridge, and other improvement projects were completed statewide through PennDOT's private-sector partners so far this year.
As of November 9, District 1 has bid 48 projects at an estimated cost of more than $216 million, including 18 highway projects, 13 bridge replacements or rehabilitations, 10 safety projects, and seven projects for work on locally owned bridges, roadways, and trails. Before the end of the year, District 1 expects to open bids for an additional nine projects worth approximately $8 million and physical work on some contracts awarded in 2023 will begin in 2024.
"As we look back on this construction season, there are several things that standout as highlights for the year. Among those are the strong partnership between us and the City of Meadville to complete drainage upgrades as we were resurfacing Park Avenue, the completion of the roundabout in the City of Warren, starting on the Fisherman Cove's Bridge in Venango County, and resurfacing Route 158 in Mercer County," said Brian McNulty, P.E., District 1 Executive. "We also got some important community projects out the door that have been in the works for years, including the Waterford covered bridge and the Bayfront Parkway improvements."
Along with the contracts awarded this year, work was done on 33 projects that were started or awarded prior to 2023, representing more than $150 million.
These projects included the reconstruction of Interstate 90 from mile marker 3.5 near Exit 3 in Springfield Township to mile marker 10.5 just east of Exit 9 in Girard Township. In 2023, the Route 215 bridge opened, ramp gates were installed, and the westbound lanes were completed. Work started in 2021. Major work was completed this year with cable median barrier installation planned for 2024.
"From design through construction, the Interstate 90 project from Springfield to Girard has been a success for us. As we wrap up work in 2023, we measured the smoothness level of the paving done this and last year. We are very pleased with results of that analysis that showed the strongest numbers for the eastbound lanes," McNulty said.
Other carryover projects from 2023 included:
Route 27 – Resurfacing 4.7 miles of from Route 173 to Guys Mills Road in East Mead and Randolph townships, Crawford County. The contract cost is $4.8 million.
12th Street Corridor – The project includes 22 intersections along the roadway in the City of Erie and includes updates to signal timings and two message boards to alert vehicles heading into the city from I-79 and Route 290. The contract cost is $8.7 million.
High Friction Surface Treatment – Roadway treatments on Route 408 in Troy Township in Crawford County, and Route 36 in Tionesta Township and Route 899 in Barnett Township in Forest County. The contract cost is approximately $566,000.
Route 19 – Resurfacing and radii improvements in Mercer Borough, and East Lackawannock, Springfield and Coolspring townships, Mercer County. The project will also include a bridge replacement in East Lackawannock Township. The contract cost is $3.3 million.
Route 8 – Resurfacing and restoration on Route 8 from Polk Cutoff to Route 62 in Sandycreek Township and the City of Franklin and intersection and signal upgrades at Pone Lane and Polk Cutoff. The contract cost is $3.1 million.
Market Street Roundabout – Construction of a single-lane roundabout at intersection of Market Street (Route 1017), Pennsylvania Avenue (Route 6006), and Water Street in the City of Warren. The contract cost is $4 million.
Many of the projects in 2023 were funded at least in part by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). This year alone, the BIL brought approximately $23.7 million in additional funding to the northwest region to be allocated by the department and its local Metropolitan and Rural Planning Organization (MPO/RPO) partners. In the northwest region, the planning partners are the Erie Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), the Shenango Valley MPO, and the Northwest Rural Planning Organization (RPO), for projects in Crawford, Erie, Forest, Mercer, Venango and Warren counties.
There were nine active projects in Crawford County, including:
Route 408 – Rehabilitation of the bridge that carries Route 408 over Oil Creek in Hydetown Borough. The contract cost is $2 million.
Group paving – Resurfacing of more than 5 miles of roadway in the City of Meadville, Woodcock Township, and Blooming Valley Borough, including portions of Route 198, Park Avenue (Route 1001), Route 89, and Perry Street (Route 2031). The contract cost is $3.4 million.
Route 98 – Replacement of the bridge that carries Route 18 over Conneaut Creek Tributary in Spring Township. The contract cost is approximately $762,000.
There were 25 active projects in Erie County, including:
Bayfront Parkway (Route 4034) Improvement Project – Major improvements to the parkway at the intersections with Sassafras Street Extension, State Street, and Holland Street. Work is expected to be completed in 2027. The contract cost is $112 million.
Zuck Road (Route 4015) – Resurfacing of 2 miles of roadway from Zimmerly Road (Route 4012) to West 26th Street (Route 20) and a box culvert replacement in Millcreek Township. Work is expected to be completed in 2024. The contract cost is $7.8 million.
Edinboro Intersections – Improvements at three Route 6N (Route 3006) intersections. The contract cost is $2.8 million.
Waterford Covered Bridge – Repair and rehabilitation of the locally-owned bridge that carries Niemeyer Road over LeBoeuf Creek in Waterford Township. Work is expected to be completed in 2024. The contract cost is $3.5 million.
There was one active project in Forest County:
There were 14 active projects in Mercer County, including:
Route 173 – Improvements from Cemetery Road to near Yankee School Road (Route 1004). The contract cost is approximately $632,000.
Group paving – Resurfacing 7.36 miles of Route 158 and Route 208 in Wilmington and Springfield townships. The contract cost is $2.9 million.
Route 18 – Resurfacing a mile of roadway from Route 358 to near SERVPRO in Greenville Borough. The contract cost is $1.7 million.
Werner Road (Route 4017) – Rehabilitation of the bridge over the Little Shenango River in Sugar Grove Township. The contract cost is $1.8 million.
Route 718 – Restoration on 2.15 miles of roadway from Route 760 to Route 318 in Wheatland Borough. The contract cost is $1.8 million.
Leesburg Road (Route 2002) - Replacement of the bridge over Neshannock Creek in Springfield Township. The construction cost $1.4 million.
There were nine active projects in Venango County, including:
Route 428 – Resurfacing of 5.79 miles of on Route 428 (Halyday Run Road) from Route 8 in Oil City to Cherrytree Road in Oakland Township. The contract cost is $4.7 million.
Group paving – Resurfacing of 3.6 miles of East State Road (Route 2006), 2.6 miles of Rockland Cranberry Road (Route 2013), and 4.2 miles of Deep Hollow Road (Route 2035) in Cranberry Township. The contract cost is $4.1 million.
Allegheny Boulevard Trail – Construction of a multimodal trail along Route 62/8 Elk Street in the City of Franklin to the intersection with Front Street in Sugarcreek Borough. Some finishing work expected to take place in 2024. The contract cost is $2.3 million.
Fisherman's Cove Bridge – Replacement of the locally-owned bridge over Victory Run in Victory Township. Work is expected to be completed in 2024. The contract cost is $2 million.
Route 8 – Preservation for the bridges that carries Route 8 over Cherry Run in Rouseville Borough and over Oil Creek in Cornplanter Township. The contract costs is approximately $469,000.
There were eight active projects in Warren County, including:
Route 62 – Replacement of the bridge over Lenhart Run and resurfacing 4.08 miles of roadway in Pleasant Township, Warren County. The contract cost is $4.7 million.
Route 6 – Resurfacing 4 miles of roadway from west of Yankee Bush Road to Main Avenue, as well as preservation of three bridges over Morse Run, Allegheny & Eastern Railroads, and the Allegheny River in Conewango and Pleasant townships and the City of Warren. Work is expected to be completed in 2024. The contract cost is $11 million.
There were also five districtwide contracts for guiderails repairs and updates, highway lighting repairs and updates, reflective pavement marker (RPM) installation, durable pavement legend installation and geotechnical drilling.
District 1 maintenance forces also had a busy season. Among their accomplishments were complete 414 miles of seal coating, which will preserve and prolong the service life of those roadways, 2,188 miles of line painting, and 289 miles of ditching. The county bridge crews were also able to clean and flush drainage on 1,596 bridges.
PennDOT District 1 is hiring for a variety of positions, including civil engineers, construction inspectors, transportation technicians, CDL operators and mechanics. Apply online at www.employment.pa.gov.
Subscribe to PennDOT news and traffic alerts in Crawford, Erie, Forest, Mercer, Venango, and Warren counties at www.penndot.pa.gov/District1.
Information about infrastructure in District 1, including completed work and significant projects, is available at www.penndot.pa.gov/D1Results. Find PennDOT's planned and active construction projects at www.projects.penndot.gov.
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EDITOR'S NOTE: Pictures of notable projects – Crawford County Route 98 bridge; Erie County I-90/Route 215, Warren County Roundabout, Venango County Route 428.
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Contact: Jill Harry, 814-678-5035 or jharry@pa.gov
