Could funding for long-awaited Centre County road projects be affected by COVID-19?
Two long-awaited roadway projects are expected to move forward this summer, but COVID-19 could limit the progress of future projects.
In a virtual public hearing, members of the Centre County Metropolitan Planning Organization and county planning officials discussed the proposed 2021-24 Transportation Improvement Program — a plan that outlines priorities for how federal and state funds will be used for local road, bridge and transit projects in the coming years.
The 2021-24 proposal allocates $73 million in funds for Centre County road and bridge work, about $84 million for transit initiatives and includes the Bellefonte interchange and State College area connector projects. The draft also includes funding for the North Atherton Street Project and the realignment and signalization of the Route 26/45 and Route 64/550 intersections.
Additional money — outside of base funds — can come from discretionary funds and spike funds, which are created when discretionary funds are added to the MPO’s base allocation.
Due to financial strain caused by COVID-19, Centre Regional Planning Agency Principal Transportation Planner Tom Zilla said it is possible funds for projects within the TIP could be revoked.
“The funding allocation for this TIP was developed in 2018 and 2019, which obviously, was well before the current COVID-19 pandemic,” Zilla said. “The shelter-in-place orders in place across the state and the nation have resulted in much less travel, and that in turn, has reduced the revenue generated by federal and state gas taxes. We do anticipate that reduction in gas tax revenue is going to impact the amount of funding that will be available in the future.”
Financial strain could also affect project timelines, Zilla said.
“We do think there’s a reasonable chance that as we get toward the latter part of this year, that we may see some of the impacts to this new TIP from that reduction in revenue,” he said.
If the TIP experiences cuts in funding, Zilla said projects already in progress and those aimed at improving safety will take priority.
Bellefonte Interchange Project
After a decade of delays, construction on the Bellefonte interchange project is on pace to start this summer.
Earlier this month, PennDOT announced HRI, Inc. of State College was awarded the $52 million bid for the I-80 interchange project — an initiative that began in 2000. PennDOT expects to officially award the bid and proceed with construction later this spring.
The three-phase initiative will create a high-speed interchange between Interstates 80 and 99. Local access between state Route 26, Jacksonville Road and I-80 will change.
The project will be funded in part by $6.8 million base funding on the TIP for the Route 26/Jacksonville Road betterment project, $52 million for the I-80 local access interchange — which also includes a $35 million grant — and $109 million for the I-80 high speed interchange.
U.S. Route 322/State College connector project
The State College connector project aims to improve a 13-mile stretch of U.S. Route 322 from the Seven Mountains to State College and could cost about $670 million, according to Gov. Tom Wolf.
Originally, the project was slated as a successor to the South Central Centre County Transportation Study, which began in 1999, but the federal government pulled funding in 2004 — terminating the project.
Although there is no definite timeline for this project, Zilla said preliminary design will begin this summer.
These designs will help determine if the connector project will expand the two-lane section of Route 322 to a four-lane highway, but nothing has been made official.
TIP funds will allocate $10 million for the preliminary phase of the project and $16 million for the final design phase.
Members of the public are welcome to comment on the draft until June 8. Input can be shared online at ccmpo.net or by calling 231-3050.
If the TIP is approved by local, state and federal entities, it will take effect in October.
