ZELIENOPLE, Pa. (EYT) – Governor Tom Wolf and Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) Secretary Leslie S. Richards yesterday highlighted transportation investments, as PennDOT announced that 107 highway and bridge projects are anticipated to be bid or continue this year across the five-county, Indiana-based region during this construction season. The investment includes three roadway projects in Clarion County.

“We are continuing our much-needed investments in roadways and bridges across the state,” said Governor Wolf. “This includes heavily traveled and rural roadways alike, all of which are critical to moving goods and people.”

Complementing the significant projects in the region, Governor Wolf recently reinforced the administration’s commitment to rural roads with new plans to improve more than 1,100 rural and low-volume roadway miles and rehabilitate or replace at least 85 municipally owned bridges over five years.

“We are committed to our responsibility of maintaining safe, efficient travel,” Richards said. “We and our private-sector partners are working hard to support commerce and the public’s travel.”

Today’s announcement was made at the Interstate 79 Project in Butler County during a work-zone safety media event. The department anticipates investing more than $331 million this year in the PennDOT Engineering District 10 region spanning Armstrong, Butler, Clarion, Indiana, and Jefferson counties. PennDOT anticipates rehabilitating, reconstructing, and resurfacing 129 miles of highways and improving 39 bridges this year in the region.

“As our road system has faced a difficult winter, we look forward to the projects going to construction this year in our region,” said District 10 District Executive, Joseph P. Dubovi, III. “Our goal is to keep the roads as safe as possible for both our workers and the traveling public and we ask for patience while these important projects are underway.”

Notable projects this year include:

Armstrong County

• Route 422 Wray Road cut roadway relocation project in Kittanning Township ($10.7 million);
• Kittanning Elementary School Intersection safety improvement project on Route 422 from Silvis Hollow Road to east of Graham Road in Kittanning Township (estimated $7.5 million to $10 million); and
• Route 66 Oakland Cemetery Bridge replacement in Manor Township ($4.1 million).

Butler County

• Route 228 Cox’s Corner Roundabout project in Clinton Township (nearly $6 million);
• Route 422 Moraine State Park Access Project in Muddy Creek and Worth townships ($4.3 million);
• Concrete patching and resurfacing of over 15 miles on I-79 between Exit 88, Little Creek and Exit 105, Slippery Rock, in the townships of Lawrence, Jackson, Lancaster, Muddy Creek, and Worth (nearly $26 million); and
• Route 228 Pittsburgh Street intersection improvements in Adams Township (nearly $8 million).

Clarion County

• Concrete patching and resurfacing on I-80 for approximately 4 miles in Beaver Township ($19.4 million);
• Route 68 Dolby Street intersection project in Monroe Township (estimated $10 million to $12.5 million); and
• Route 68 Reidsburg Bridge curve project in Monroe Township (estimated $2.5 million to $5 million).

Indiana County

• Route 119 Three Bridges project in Center Township ($15.2 million);
• Route 119 Grove Chapel climbing lane and realignment project in Rayne Township ($16 million); and
• Route 422 Penn Run, North Harmony to Route 403 resurfacing project in Pine Township ($5.5 million).

Jefferson County

• Route 436 Margiotti Bridge replacement in Punxsutawney Borough ($12.6 million);
• Route 36 concrete repairs in Brookville Borough ($2.6 million); and
• Route 119 Indiana Hill Bridge replacement project in Punxsutawney Borough (estimated $2.5 million to $5 million).

As construction projects are underway in the region, the traveling public can anticipate seeing many work zones and are urged to keep in mind their safety and the safety of highway workers. When encountering a work zone, please drive the posted speed limit, turn on your headlights, pay close attention to signs and flaggers and avoid all distractions. In high traffic locations, motorists are encouraged to use both lanes of travel to the merge point and are to take turns merging into the open lane.

For more information on projects occurring or being bid this year, those made possible by or accelerated by the state transportation funding plan (Act 89), or those on the department’s Four and Twelve Year Plans, visit www.projects.penndot.gov.

Motorists can check conditions on more than 40,000 roadway miles by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information and access to more than 850 traffic cameras.

511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional Twitter alerts accessible on the 511PA website.

For more PennDOT information, visit www.penndot.gov. Follow local PennDOT information on Twitter at www.twitter.com/511PAPittsburgh. www.twitter.com/511PAErie, and www.twitter.com/511PAStateColl.