Smaller roads in line for funding

State shifting police allocation to fund secondary roadways maintenance

HOLLIDAYSBURG -- Weaning state police from Motor License Fund subsidies will mean more money to maintain secondary roads and upgrade PennDOT's fleet, Transportation Secretary Mike Carroll said during a visit to District 9 headquarters Friday.

The current transition away from the current $500 million subsidy to state police by $125 million annually began this year.

The money that becomes available will pay for projects that otherwise wouldn't get done, according to Carroll and Assistant District Executive for Construction Brad Brumbaugh.

The funds will be distributed across the state by a formula based on the number of road miles and bridges and their conditions along with vehicle miles traveled.

The savings from smaller state police payments along with federal subsidies from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will mean billions in additional PennDOT projects in the coming few years, according to Carroll.

In the four transition years, 80% of the former state police allocation will go toward surface treatments to maintain "lesser traveled roads," Carroll said. The other 20% will go toward rehabilitating PennDOT's vehicle fleet.

In recent years, investment in the fleet has been suspended, and the vehicles are "aged and tired," he said.

Secondary roads are much cheaper to maintain, and the major roads are getting the attention they need anyway based on federal subsidies, Carroll said.

The annual $500 million that had been going to state police is equivalent to 8 cents per gallon in gasoline tax, according to Carroll.

The state police were actually getting a bigger chunk of the Motor License Fund several years ago at $800 million.

For years, the state has focused on maintenance, rather than new road construction.

"The financial ability to take on new capacity projects is not in the mix," the secretary said. "The smart thing to do is to maintain the network we have."

Strict attention to maintenance is just as necessary for roads and bridges as it is for private homes, Carroll said. It's especially important for bridges.

Water is the main enemy, whether rain, snow or ice, he said.

Modest frequent investments end up costing less in the long run.

If those modest investments are postponed until a rebuild is needed, conditions arise that make it unsafe for drivers, he said.

While maintenance remains the emphasis, it's possible that the BIL will create opportunities for new capacity, Carroll said.

This year in six-county District 9, PennDOT resurfaced 120 miles, while fixing 54 bridges, according to information provided at the news conference.

Additionally, workers tar-and-chipped 400 miles of smaller roads.

Next year, the district plans to resurface 143 miles and fix 60 bridges, according to Vince Greenland, acting district executive.

Blair County's base allocation for road and bridge projects this year was $16.6 million, according to Brumbaugh.

The base allocation for the six-county district was $49.7 million, Brumbaugh said.

There are $25 million worth of improvements slated for I-99 in Blair County for 2024 and 2025, he said.

Notable Blair County projects completed in 2023 include rehabilitation of the Grazierville truss bridge on old Route 220 for $3.4 million; replacement of the bridge over Spring Run on Wopsononock Avenue for $1.1 million; rehabilitation of the Route 36 bridge over Route 2014 and railroad tracks for $2.7 million; and resurfacing of Route 22 from Route 1011 to the end of the four-lane, $2.8 million.

Mirror Staff Writer William Kibler is at 814-949-7038.