A transportation enhancement project to create a multimodal trail for cyclists and pedestrians along Route 699 (Route 99) in the Borough of Edinboro, Erie County is scheduled to start soon.
The project will include the installation of the multi-use trail for enhanced safety along the east side of Route 699 (Route 99) from the entrance of the Edinboro Cemetery to the south entrance of the Giant Eagle Plaza at Walker Drive.
Construction is expected to begin Monday, May 1, 2023, weather permitting, and is expected to be completed by September 2023.
The project is being done through a collaboration of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and the Borough of Edinboro.
A separate construction in Edinboro will start later this year and will reduce congestion and increase safety through roadway and pedestrian improvements on Route 6N.
Information on the Edinboro Transportation Improvement Projects is available online under the Design and Construction link at www.penndot.pa.gov/district1.
The contractor for the trail project is M and B Services, LLC, of Clarion, PA. The contract cost is $402,010, which is to be paid for entirely with funds from the Federal Highway Administration's Transportation Alternatives Set-Aside (TASA) program. The program provides money for projects that support on- and off-road pedestrian and bicycle facilities, infrastructure projects for improving non-driver access to public transportation and enhanced mobility, community improvement activities, and environmental mitigation, trails that serve a transportation purpose, and safe routes to school projects.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) expanded the funding available for these projects and continues to fund the TASA through 2026. The FAST Act, which provided funding for the TASA since December 2015, expired on September 30, 2021, but the funding made available to the department prior to that date remains available for use, including the Edinboro trail project.
In 2023 alone, the BIL is bringing approximately $23.7 million in additional funding to the northwest region to be allocated by the department and its local Metropolitan and Rural Planning Organization (MPO/RPO) partners. In the northwest region, the planning partners are the Erie Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), the Shenango Valley MPO, and the Northwest Rural Planning Organization (RPO), for projects in Crawford, Erie, Forest, Mercer, Venango, and Warren counties.
This year PennDOT's Northwest Region excepts to do work on more than 100 projects. To see a full listing of all the anticipated work, check out the 2023 Construction Book located under the Resources tab online at www.penndot.pa.gov/District1.
PennDOT urges motorists to slow down when driving in work zones, and also to be alert to changing conditions, avoid distractions and to pay attention to signs and flaggers. Drive responsibly in work zones for your safety and the safety of the workers.
Motorists can check conditions on major roadways by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information and access to more than 1,000 traffic cameras.
511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional Twitter alerts accessible on the 511PA website.
Subscribe to PennDOT news and traffic alerts in Crawford, Erie, Forest, Mercer, Venango, and Warren counties at www.penndot.pa.gov/District1.
Information about infrastructure in District 1, including completed work and significant projects, is available at www.penndot.pa.gov/D1Results. Find PennDOT's planned and active construction projects at www.projects.penndot.gov.
Follow local PennDOT news on Twitter and like the department on Facebook.
PennDOT District 1 is hiring for variety of positions, including CDL operators, mechanics, highway maintenance workers, civil engineers, construction inspectors, and transportation technicians. Apply online at www.employment.pa.gov.
# # #
