PA’s Big Transit Project

By Peter Hall | Pennsylvania Capital-Star

Federal funding for highway, rail, and other infrastructure projects in Pennsylvania is in question under the Trump administration, the commonwealth’s top transportation official said in a state House budget hearing Wednesday.

“Funds that were discretionary awards, that haven’t been obligated, are sort of in question right now,” Transportation Secretary Mike Carroll said. “It doesn’t mean they’re lost. They’ve been paused, and we would be hesitant to go forward with the use of those funds absent an obligation.”

A map from a 2023 Amtrak study show a proposed route between New York City and Scranton, Pa. -lehighvalleylive.com

The John Harris Memorial Bridge in Harrisburg, PA, is set to be replaced with a new span thanks to a $500 million federal grant. The bridge, built in 1960, has reached the end of its useful life and requires frequent repairs. The project is part of the Federal Highway Administration's Bridge Investment Program, which aims to fund the reconstruction of 13 nationally significant bridges across the U.S. Construction is expected to begin in 2026 and will take two to three years to complete.

Another is a grant of $144 million by the Federal Railroad Administration to increase the capacity of tracks owned by Norfolk Southern Corp. to accommodate a second daily train on Amtrak’s Pennsylvanian Service.

Carroll said the effort to restore passenger rail service between Scranton and New York’s Penn Station, a service that would include multiple stops in the Poconos, is ongoing That project is one of five in the nation, some of which are in Republican-controlled states, Carroll noted, that have advanced to a service development plan.

The restoration of passenger rail service from Reading to Philadelphia is in the planning phase, supported by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). However, it has not yet secured funding for full-scale planning. Meanwhile, PennDOT is set to receive $170 million for infrastructure projects, including $70 million for electric vehicle charging stations along highways. The Reading to Philadelphia rail project is part of broader efforts to enhance transportation in Pennsylvania, but its future funding remains uncertain.

Source: lehighvalleylive.com