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Keyword: penndot

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  • Let the pros rebuild our bridges

    02/05/2023 4:03:33 AM PST · by Tolerance Sucks Rocks · 18 replies
    The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette ^ | February 4, 2023 | Bartley J. Rahuba, Peters Township
    The completion of the Fern Hollow Bridge construction in under a year and at a cost of $25 million is truly a feat that should be applauded by one and all. But it also points out the utter failure of our government to function on an expeditious and cost-conscious manner daily (“Editorial: Fern Hollow failure,” Jan. 29). Tom Wolf declared at the bridge opening ceremony, “This is the power of government that works for the people.” “Under normal circumstances this bridge would have taken 5 years to complete,” said Kate Thomson of the United States Department of Transportation. “This is...
  • Fern Hollow Bridge remake nears completion, with reopening expected within a week

    12/21/2022 6:13:11 AM PST · by Tolerance Sucks Rocks · 3 replies
    The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette ^ | December 21, 2022 | Kris B. Mamula
    Line painting and other finishing touches continued Tuesday at the new Fern Hollow Bridge in the city’s East End, with a dedication ceremony planned Wednesday and completion of bridge reconstruction work anticipated Thursday, officials said. A date for reopening the bridge to traffic has not been set, according to Pennsylvania Department of Transportation spokesman Steve Cowan, but it was anticipated it would be within a week. The busy, 500-foot Forbes Avenue bridge, which connected Squirrel Hill to Point Breeze and Park Place, collapsed onto a popular hiking trail about 100 feet below the road in Frick Park in January. Ten...
  • PennDOT following ‘roundabout’ way to improve road safety

    09/25/2022 6:42:21 AM PDT · by Tolerance Sucks Rocks · 70 replies
    The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette ^ | September 24, 2022 | Ed Blazina
    Some drivers may be confused or intimidated by roundabouts, those circular intersections where all traffic circles to the left until motorists find their exit to the right. But drivers better get used to them — the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation is sold on the improved safety and traffic flow roundabouts provide and expects to install more of them to replace traditional intersections that use traffic signals or stop signs. The department last week released a study that reviewed 36 roundabouts that had replaced traditional intersections for at least three years. It found that deaths at those locations dropped to just...
  • PennDOT still could have a private developer replace, maintain 9 bridges if it can find a way to pay for them

    07/12/2022 10:06:01 AM PDT · by Tolerance Sucks Rocks · 19 replies
    The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette ^ | July 12, 2022 | Ed Blazina
    Pennsylvania could continue to work with a partnership headed by an Australian firm to replace nine major bridges across the state and maintain them for for 30 years. It just has to find another way to pay for the work now that adding tolls of $1 or $2 per vehicle is off the table. The state Department of Transportation continues to review how it will replace the bridges, which are estimated to cost $2.5 billion. They are considered economically important structures, but the state said it doesn’t have the funds to replace them. One possibility is that the state continues...
  • Inflation could put severe limits on the benefits of infrastructure funding increase, PennDOT officials say

    05/31/2022 11:25:29 AM PDT · by Tolerance Sucks Rocks · 18 replies
    The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette ^ | May 31, 2022 | Ed Blazina
    Six months ago, state officials couldn’t have been happier as the U.S. Department of Transportation regularly announced billions of additional dollars that would be available for road and bridge projects. Now, with rampant inflation and problems getting basic materials like concrete and asphalt, especially for overnight work, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation officials say they are concerned that the federal windfall may not have nearly the benefit they expected. Cheryl Moon-Sirianni, PennDOT’s district executive for Allegheny, Beaver and Lawrence counties, said last week that low bids for contracts have been coming in 10% to 20% higher than the department anticipated. Among...
  • Pennsylvania taking baby steps away from gas tax, toward fee for miles driven

    05/08/2022 12:51:49 PM PDT · by Tolerance Sucks Rocks · 54 replies
    The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette ^ | May 7, 2022 | Ed Blazina
    Following a slowly growing national movement, Pennsylvania may be ready to try the idea of charging drivers a mileage-based fee to make up millions in transportation revenue lost to more fuel-efficient hybrid and electric cars. Melissa J. Batula, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation’s acting executive deputy secretary, said the department is working with the General Assembly to draft legislation establishing fees for those who pay little or nothing toward road maintenance. That’s because the state gets about 75% of its road money from the gasoline tax. A commission appointed last year by Gov. Tom Wolf recommended a series of steps...
  • PennDOT blocks public from seeing online inspection notes of damaged bridges: report

    05/01/2022 3:47:21 PM PDT · by lightman · 19 replies
    Pennlive ^ | 1 May A.D. 2022 | Zach Hoopes
    PennDOT scrubbed bridge inspectors’ notes from its website, reducing the ability of residents to access safety data of bridges they regularly use, according to a recent report by the Pittsburgh Post Gazette. The revelation by the Post Gazette comes after the Fern Hollow Creek bridge in Pittsburgh collapsed in January injuring 10 people. PennLive reported at the time that Pennsylvania has the second-highest number of bridges in the nation that fall within the “poor” condition category as defined by federal standards. According to the Post Gazette, PennDOT’s public online map of bridge reports contained, up until this past February, direct...
  • PennDOT will negotiate with group led by Australian firm for tolling project to replace nine bridges

    04/06/2022 7:48:07 AM PDT · by Tolerance Sucks Rocks · 6 replies
    The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette ^ | March 9, 2022 | Ed Blazina
    The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation will negotiate with a nine-member group of contractors headed by an Australian firm to replace nine bridges proposed for tolling at an estimated cost of $2.5 billion. The group — which calls itself Bridging Pennsylvania Partners — lists Macquarie Infrastructure Developments LLC of Sydney as the lead contractor and includes FCC Construccion, S.A., of Spain, as well as six Pennsylvania companies. They include Joseph B. Fay Co. and Shikun & Binui America Inc., of Pittsburgh. The contract will require that 65% of the work be done by Pennsylvania firms. State Sen. Wayne Langerholc Jr., R-Johnstown...
  • Supply-chain problems delaying completion of some PennDOT projects

    12/16/2021 11:10:17 AM PST · by Tolerance Sucks Rocks · 4 replies
    The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette ^ | December 15, 2021 | Ed Blazina
    Supply-chain problems, especially related to steel, are beginning to affect road and bridge projects that contractors are doing in this area for the state Department of Transportation. In a year-end wrap-up of the construction season Wednesday, District 11 Executive Cheryl Moon-Siriani and Jason Zang, assistant executive who oversees construction, said some contractors are having problems obtaining materials they need. The district includes Allegheny, Lawrence and Beaver counties. They didn’t want to identify specific projects, but they said in some instances contractors have changed how work is scheduled to do work in areas where they have the materials they need. In...
  • Taking a toll: PennDOT moves forward with controversial plan to charge for bridges, names potential development teams

    09/24/2021 5:58:54 AM PDT · by Tolerance Sucks Rocks · 31 replies
    The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette ^ | September 20, 2021 | Ed Blazina
    The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation took the next step toward replacing and charging tolls on as many as nine bridges Monday, but motorists won’t pay to use the bridges until 2023 at the earliest. PennDOT announced it has selected three firms to submit proposals for finishing the design of the nine bridges and propose whether to bundle them together under one contract, replace them individually or a combination of the two. The department’s goal is to turn the bridges over to private firms to design and replace them, then maintain them for 30 years with the tolls covering the costs....
  • Gov. Tom Wolf Proposes Phasing Out Pennsylvania's Gasoline Tax

    04/17/2021 2:13:46 PM PDT · by Tolerance Sucks Rocks · 25 replies
    Construction Equipment Guide ^ | March 16, 2021 | Associated Press
    Amid a deepening stalemate over financing highways and public transit, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf on March 12 proposed phasing out his state's gasoline tax, the second highest in the nation, and appointed a commission to recommend alternative ways to pay for the state's needs. Wolf ordered a panel of several dozen lawmakers, transportation industry representatives, transportation planners, government officials and others to deliver recommendations by Aug. 1 of funding alternatives to foot the extra billions of dollars deemed to be necessary. "Our economy, our communities and our future rely on a strong transportation system that supports our safety and growth,"...
  • Lamb leads bipartisan group pressing for $18 billion for state transportation agencies

    04/04/2021 3:20:09 PM PDT · by Tolerance Sucks Rocks · 8 replies
    The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette ^ | April 1, 2021 | Daniel Moore
    WASHINGTON — A day after greeting President Joe Biden as he arrived near Pittsburgh to announce his infrastructure proposal, Rep. Conor Lamb, D-Mt. Lebanon, on Thursday led a bipartisan group of 46 other House lawmakers in pressing congressional leaders to dedicate another $18 billion in funding for state transportation agencies. The lawmakers cited data from the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials that estimated state agencies will face a $28 billion budget shortfall by fiscal year 2024 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The spending bills passed by Congress in December allocated $10 billion, but the lawmakers called for...
  • Drivers speak out about proposed toll on bridge in Susquehanna County

    02/24/2021 4:00:28 PM PST · by Tolerance Sucks Rocks · 31 replies
    MSN ^ | February 19, 2021 | Courtney Harrison
    The Great Bend-Hallstead exit (230) off Interstate 81 in Susquehanna County is due for repair in the next few years and PennDOT has proposed installing an electronic toll, that would use E-ZPass or pay-by-plate collection for drivers who pass through the area. The funds collected would be used to pay for the construction, maintenance, and operation of that bridge. We spoke with several people who use this section of highway about the proposed idea. "I guess to raise taxes to everybody is really hard, so I guess for the people using the road, then maybe that's a good idea," said...
  • PennDOT plans to toll major Pa. bridges, but truckers and lawmakers want to put on brakes

    01/25/2021 3:35:05 PM PST · by lightman · 21 replies
    Pennlive ^ | 25 January A.D. 2021 | Jan Murphy
    The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation is moving forward with its controversial plan to consider charging tolls — possibly $1 or $2 — on as many as 10 major bridges in the state. PennDOT Secretary Yassmin Gramian told a Senate panel on Monday the list of potential bridge candidates to be tolled will be announced in mid-February. The bridges will be spread across the state and will only involve ones located on interstates. Once the list is finalized, the department is obligated to conduct public outreach for each of the bridge candidates. Special emphasis is being placed on identifying the economic...
  • Federal stimulus package won’t erase PennDOT’s funding gap or plans for new tolls or taxes

    12/31/2020 1:48:42 PM PST · by Tolerance Sucks Rocks · 24 replies
    The Allentown Morning Call Adware Farm ^ | December 22, 2020 | Tom Shortell
    Congressional leaders passed a new stimulus package meant to alleviate the financial pain of the coronavirus, but it won’t cure all that ails PennDOT’s pocketbook. PennDOT press secretary Alexis Campbell said Monday afternoon it wasn’t clear if the relief plan will cover the $600 million funding gap plaguing PennDOT. Early media reports indicate that $10 billion of financial relief could be distributed to the 50 states’ highway systems, though it’s unclear how much would come Pennsylvania’s way. State Sen. Pat Browne, a Lehigh County Republican and longtime chairperson of the Appropriations Committee, said Tuesday that transportation-specific wording included in the...
  • Jeep Cherokee watching: Pa. to start automated speed enforcement in work zones

    01/01/2020 6:13:07 PM PST · by Tolerance Sucks Rocks · 67 replies
    The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette ^ | December 28, 2019 | Ed Blazina
    After years of concern about the number of traffic accidents that occur in road construction zones, Pennsylvania is doing something about it. Beginning Jan. 4, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and Pennsylvania Turnpike will begin a 60-day pilot program to formally test what’s called the Automated Work Zone Speed Enforcement program. The program is designed to cause drivers to slow down in construction areas by setting up speed monitoring equipment in work areas. After the pilot program is finished, the two state agencies expect to deploy private contractors in white Jeep Cherokee SUVs at various sites throughout the state to...
  • PA Turnpike tolls go up 6% in 2020, but smaller increases expected beginning in 2023

    12/31/2019 4:45:29 PM PST · by Tolerance Sucks Rocks · 34 replies
    The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette ^ | December 29, 2019 | Ed Blazina
    Pennsylvania Turnpike users can expect 6% toll increases in 2020 and 2021 but then — if the state Legislature follows through with plans to change how the state funds public transit — the rate of annual increases gradually will go down to 3% in 2028. Nikolaus Grieshaber, the turnpike’s chief financial officer, outlined the agency’s financial future recently in an interview with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette about the 6% toll hike that begins Jan. 5. The increase marks the 12th year in a row that rates have gone up and will increase the fee for a car traveling the length of...
  • PennDOT P3 Project Will Address I-81 Improvements

    12/15/2019 7:53:22 AM PST · by Tolerance Sucks Rocks · 14 replies
    Transport Topics ^ | December 10, 2019 | Transport Topics
    Leaders within the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation have approved a public-private partnership to reconstruct a portion of Interstate 81. PennDOT’s P3 Board approved the project, which will involve the reconstruction of a 4.5-mile section of the route near Wilkes-Barre, on Dec. 4. Wilkes-Barre, the seat of Luzerne County in northeastern Pennsylvania, is 20 miles southwest of Scranton. The project will involve widening a portion of I-81 to three lanes in both directions, realigning 2.5 miles of southbound interstate and replacing eight bridges. Other safety measures include eliminating a left-hand exit and improving a substandard weave distance between two routes that...
  • Audit discovers billions in PennDOT road and bridge funds transferred to state police

    05/24/2019 4:47:01 PM PDT · by lightman · 28 replies
    Equipment World's Better Roads ^ | 24 May A.D. 2019 | Kerry Clines
    When the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) was audited recently, Auditor General Eugene DePasquale discovered that more than $4.25 billion in Motor License Fund money that was supposed to go toward the repair, construction, reconstruction, and maintenance of roads and bridges had been transferred to the state police, beginning in the 2012-13 fiscal year, Transportation Today News reports. The General Assembly, reportedly, has not put a cap on the amount of money being transferred to the state police, having transferred $789.6 million during the 2017-18 fiscal year. “More than 2,800 state-maintained bridges across Pennsylvania are structurally deficient, and our bridges...
  • Auditor General: PennDOT audit finds over $4B diverted from repairing roads, bridges

    04/28/2019 6:51:03 AM PDT · by Twotone · 34 replies
    WJACTV.com ^ | April 25, 2019 | Travis Gary
    HARRISBURG, Pa. (WJAC) — A state audit of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation has found that billions of dollars have been diverted over the years that could have been spent repairing roads and bridges. Auditor General Eugene DePasquale announced the findings of his new audit Thursday, saying that PennDOT could be further along in repairing rough highways and fixing 2,829 structurally deficient bridges had it not been forced to pay state police. DePasquale said that the transfers from the Motor License Fund to state police totaled more than $4.2 billion since the 2012-2013 fiscal year. “More than 2,800 state-maintained bridges...