ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Lehigh Valley planners anticipate the region will receive more than $4.3 billion to bankroll transportation improvements across the region over the next 25 years.
Becky Bradley, executive director of the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission, credited state and federal officials Wednesday for what should be a significant boost in funding. The proposed allocation is approximately a 73% increase in funding from 2019, when the Lehigh Valley Transportation Study last updated the 25-year plan.
- The Lehigh Valley is slated to get $4.3 billion in state and federal funding to improve the region's transportation network in the next 25 years
- While that's an increase of approximately 73% in funding, it's not enough to pay for the many improvements needed for local highways, bridges, public transit and other infrastructure
- The Lehigh Valley Transportation Study will begin reviewing proposed projects Friday morning
After a presentation at the Lehigh Valley Transportation Forum, Bradley said her staff is now sorting through a list of approximately 600 proposals to determine how many of them are eligible for the state and federal funding. That list includes about 100 projects that are already in planning or construction, more than 100 others that were previously considered but didn't get approved and new suggestions submitted from the public and local municipal officials, Bradley said.
"Over the next months, the LVTS is going to decide where those future investments are going to go," Bradley said.
While $4.3 billion is an enormous pool of money, the scope and expense of the region's transportation needs are greater. The transportation study already plans on spending $485.5 million of that amount in the next four years. The last update to the 25-year plan in 2019 identified 129 eligible projects costing an estimated $4 billion that didn't get approved due in part to a lack of funds. Inflation has jumped since those projects were last considered, meaning their price has likely climbed.
The $4.3 billion can be used for a wide swath of projects, from upgrading traffic signals to reconstructing expressways to building walking trails to replacing bridges to funding public transit. Big-ticket items already in the existing 25-year plan include:
- Reconstructing the Route 309/Tilghman Street interchange in Allentown — $69.8 million — Construction start 2024
- Rehabilitating the Hill-to-Hill Bridge in Bethlehem — $82.2 million — Construction start 2025
- Upgrading the Route 309/Center Valley Parkway interchange in Upper Saucon Township — $72.2 million — Construction starts in 2026
- Improving the Glendon Hill Bridge in Easton — $13.75 million — Beyond 2031
- Widening Route 22 between Airport Road and Route 512 in Hanover Township and Bethlehem — $162.8 million — Beyond 2031
Meanwhile, high-profile projects that were eligible for funding but left out of the plan four years ago include:
- Modernizing Route 22 from Interstate 78 to Route 309 in South Whitehall Township — estimated $533.9 million cost
- Converting the Route 33/William Penn Highway interchange into a diverging diamond interchange — estimated $266.9 million cost
- Preventative maintenance for LANTA's fleet — estimated $105.6 million cost
- Upgrading the I-78/Route 222 interchange in Lower Macungie Township — estimated $53.3 million cost
- Replacing Long's Bridge over the Ontelaunee Creek in Lynn Township — estimated $17.8 million cost
Officials on the Lehigh Valley Transportation Study will get their first look at the list of projects Friday morning. The transportation study is expected to approve the update to the 25-year plan sometime this fall. Members of the study include PennDOT staffers, LANTA executives, members of the Lehigh-Northampton Airport Authority and officials with Lehigh and Northampton counties, Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton.
The hike in funding is a stark contrast from 2019 when the federal government forced the state to shift money away from local projects for improvements to the long-neglected interstate system. The cut meant the Lehigh Valley lost $380 million in anticipated funding over a 12-year period. Local planners said the cuts were particularly harsh for the Lehigh Valley. While interstates are the busiest highways for most communities, Route 22 and Route 33 carry more vehicles than Interstate 78.
