Pennsylvania is accelerating road repairs across the state, with $250 million in funding being provided for 79 projects.
Governor Josh Shapiro announced the funding Thursday in Bethlehem, where PennDOT is beginning an eight-mile resurfacing project on Route 378 between Route 22 and the Hill-to-Hill Bridge.
Shapiro says the money came from a total of $775 million secured in this year’s state budget for rapid road repairs in the next 18 months.
“We want to make sure this work happens right now. And we know how important it is, especially here in the Lehigh Valley. 378 behind me – that carries 35,000 vehicles every single day.”
PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll says the first round will accelerate 79 projects across 44 counties, improving more than 400 miles of roads. The funding is expected to hit every county in the state in the following few months.
Because of the funding, the resurfacing work on Route 378 is being done months ahead of its original 2027 schedule.
Carroll says accelerating the work could also free up PennDOT resources for other roads in the region.
“So it’s not just a resurfacing of 378. It’s 378, it’s 309, and it’s other roadways in both Northampton and Lehigh Counties.”
The rapid deployment funding comes on top of more than $4 billion in road and bridge projects PennDOT expects to put out for bids this year – a record amount for the department.
