Casey trying to get deficient bridges repaired

WASHINGTON, D.C. — There are 107 structurally-deficient bridges in Fayette County, 24 of which are owned by the county or local municipalities, which is problematic because those bridges don’t receive federal funding to be fixed.
But a big infusion of federal dollars could be coming as Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., is spearheading an effort to include $369 million over the next five years for local bridge repairs.
That money would be included in the new Transportation Funding Act that passed in the House of Representatives on Thursday and will be voted on very soon in the Senate.
There are a total of 394 bridges in Fayette County, and 175 of those are considered “off-system,” which means federal dollars aren’t usually given to fix them.
But the new source of funding will infuse nearly $74 million annually over the next five years to help Pennsylvania counties and local municipalities fix their bridges.
Statewide there are more than 5,000 bridges labeled as structurally deficient, each with an average age of 54 years old, Casey said.
To make matters worse, the senator said many counties and local municipalities have been struggling financially as of late, meaning the infusion of federal dollars is coming at the perfect time.
Casey said each county will have to prioritize which bridges need the most urgent fixes, and will submit their requests to the state Department of Transportation for consideration.
“Each county will have to consult with PennDOT on what is most pressing,” Casey said.
In a conference call Thursday, Casey said he was proud to have fought for the five years-worth of federal funding for local bridges, calling it “critically important” for Pennsylvania residents.
The structurally-deficient bridges across the state are often the ones found outside of the federal highway system. They are the bridges that most residents use every day to get kids to school or travel to work, he said.
“That is a huge infusion of dollars for a critical part of our infrastructure that has been too long ignored,” Casey said.
Casey began fighting for federal dollars in 2012, which is when he helped secure $73 million in 2012 for local projects. That money continued in 2013 and 2014, but each was a struggle to get through Congress and the funding was never guaranteed.
That’s why the most recent bill is so important, Casey said, because it guarantees a steady stream of funding for at least the next five years.
“Finally we can say that we have a transportation bill that will focus new and substantial resources on this problem,” he said.
Funding for the local bridges will be included in the $305 billion Transportation Funding Act that passed in the House of Representatives Thursday by a vote of 359-65.