​The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) today highlighted major projects among the 57 projects that will take place during the 2021 construction season in District 1, which includes Crawford, Erie, Forest, Mercer, Venango, and Warren counties.

“I am pleased to announce a list of transportation projects for the northwest region that represent balancing the needs of the interstate, national highway, secondary, and local networks within our vital transportation system,” said Governor Tom Wolf. “It is through the continual efforts of our staff in the construction, design, and maintenance teams of PennDOT that we are able to preserve and improve so many of our roadways and bridges even during these challenging financial times.”

Overall, the 2021 construction season for District 1 will include 31 highway projects, 13 bridge replacements or rehabilitations, three safety improvements, and 10 projects on local roadways or bridges. 

“The northwest region has several major projects starting or wrapping up this year, so while our overall number of projects has decreased from more recent construction seasons, our team is still out there making major improvements to our transportation system,” said Brian McNulty, P.E., District 1 executive.  

Among those are two multi-year projects on Interstate 90 in Erie County:

• Interstate 90 Reconstruction – The project includes highway from milepost 3.5 near Exit 3 in Springfield Township to milepost 10.5 just east of Exit 9 in Girard Township. The project also includes the replacement of several bridges over I-90 and teardrop roundabouts at the Route 18 ramps. Work is expected to be completed in 2023. The contract cost is $66.1 million.

• Interstate 90 Repaving – The project includes highway from milepost 35 near the Interstate 86 interchange to the New York state line in Harborcreek, Greenfield and North East townships. The project includes 10 miles of highway. The contract is to be awarded later this year. Work is expected to be completed in 2023.

Notable ongoing projects that will continue this year include:

• Cambridge Springs Bridge – Replacement of the 203-foot-long truss bridge that carries Route 6 over French Creek in Cambridge Springs Borough, Crawford County. The contract cost is $3.8 million. Work is expected to be completed summer 2021.

• Interstate 90 – Reconstruction from the Ohio line to milepost 3.5 near the Route 6N interchange in Erie County. The project also included the replacement of the Huntley Road Bridge over I-90, and repaving from milepost 10 to milepost 18. The contract cost is $37.6 million. Work is expected to be completed summer 2021.

• Route 8 – Reconstruction of 10 miles of roadway in Irwin, Victory, and Sandycreek townships, Venango County. The project also includes the preservation of seven bridges, drainage improvements, and safety improvements. The contract cost is $32.6 million. Work is expected to be completed in fall 2021.

“PennDOT’s focus is on providing a safe and efficient transportation system in a manner that is fiscally responsible and the best value for the funding we receive,” said McNulty. “A good example of that is our efforts to combine projects, even across county lines when feasible, to obtain better bid results.”

Three notable examples of those efforts include:

• Interstate 79 – Restoring 23 lane miles of highway from mile post 154 to mile post 165 in Hayfield and Cussewago townships in Crawford County, and Washington Township in Erie County. The project also includes two bridge rehabilitations and other structural work. The contract cost is $15.7 million.

• Route 428 – Resurfacing of more than 4 miles in Troy Township and Hydetown Borough, Crawford County and 4.7 miles in Plum Township, Venango County. The contract cost is $1.9 million.

• Route 98 – Resurfacing and restoring of 10 miles of roadway in Hayfield and Cussewago townships; and 8 miles of roadway in Elk Creek and Franklin townships in Erie County. The contract cost is $4.2 million.

There are 15 projects scheduled for Crawford County, including:

• Shutz Road Bridge – Rehabilitation of the bridge over a Woodcock Creek tributary near Woodcock Lake in Woodcock Township. The contract cost $1.6 million. 

• Pymatuning Reservoir Bridge (Route 3011) – Rehabilitation of the bridge which carries traffic through a popular spillway in the Pymatuning State Park. The work also includes ADA accessibility improvements. The contract cost is $2.3 million. 

There are 21 projects scheduled for Erie County, including:

• Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Bridge – The project includes the construction of a new multiuse bridge over the railroad tracks near the Soldier’s and Sailors’ Home in the City of Erie. This will eliminate an at-grade crossing to a nearby cemetery and will allow for the relocation of train storage to make space available for upgrades to the Bayfront Parkway near State Street and Holland Street. The contract cost is $2.7 million. 

• 12th Street Corridor – The project includes 23 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. It will be completed in preparation for detoured traffic during the Bayfront Parkway Project. The contract is to be awarded later this year.

• 5 Points Roundabout – Construction of a five-legged roundabout at Oliver Road, Hamot Road and Flower Road in Summit Township. The roundabout is expected to open by late November 2021 with some additional work to be done in spring 2022. The contract is to be awarded later this year.

There are two projects scheduled for Forest County, including:

• Route 62 – Resurfacing of 1.96 miles of roadway in Tionesta Township. The contract cost is $1 million. 

• Route 66 – Resurfacing of 1.26 miles of roadway in Jenks Township. The contract is to be awarded later this year.

There are nine projects scheduled for Mercer County, including:

• Route 19 – This is a betterment project that includes resurfacing and radii improvements in Mercer Borough, and East Lackawannock, Springfield and Coolspring townships. The project will also include the bridge replacement in East Lackawannock Township. The contract is to be awarded later this year.

• Route 258 – Resurfacing of 10.55 miles of roadway in Coolspring, East Lackawannock and Jefferson townships, and Clark and Mercer Boroughs. The contract cost is $2.9 million.

• Route 173 – Roadway widening and reconstruction near the Route 58 intersection in Grove City Borough. The project also includes pavement restoration, curb, sidewalk, ADA curb ramp improvements, and drainage and signing upgrades. Contract cost $2 million. 

There are six projects scheduled for Venango County, including:

• Interstate 80 – Resurfacing from milepost 27.6 at the Venango/Mercer county line to milepost 34.5 near the Route 308 Exit for Clintonville. The contract cost is $8.8 million. 

• McClelland Avenue Bridge – Replacement of a locally-owned bridge in Polk Borough. Work will require the construction of a temporary roadway for residents in the area. The contract is to be awarded later this year.

There is one project scheduled for Warren County, including:

• Route 426 – Resurfacing and widening of 5.7 miles of roadway in Columbus and Spring Creek townships from Old Route 77 to the Erie County line. The contract is to be awarded later this year.

Work on these project is being done in accordance with Centers for Disease Control and state Department of Health guidance as well as a project-specific COVID-19 safety plan, which will include protocols for social distancing, use of face coverings, personal and job-site cleaning protocols, management of entries to the jobsite, and relevant training.

A complete list of anticipated and potential projects is available online through the 2021 Construction Book, which can be found under the Resources heading on District 1 website, www.penndot.gov/District1.  

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. 

Motorists can check conditions on major roadways 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 1,000 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.

Subscribe to PennDOT news in Crawford, Erie, Forest, Mercer, Venango, and Warren counties at www.penndot.gov/District1. 

Information about infrastructure in District 1, including completed work and significant projects, is available at www.penndot.gov/D1Results. Find PennDOT’s planned and active construction projects at www.projects.penndot.gov. 

Follow PennDOT’s northwest region on Twitter at www.twitter.com/511PAErie or Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/northwestregionpenndot. 

MEDIA CONTACT: Jill Harry, 814-678-5035

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