The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) recently committed $452.7 million to municipalities to help maintain bridges and roads.
Funding will be provided through liquid fuels payments, which will be distributed under a formula based on a municipality’s population and miles of locally-owned roads.
PennDOT distributes funds annually to help with highway and bridge-related expenses such as road repaving and snow removal. The COVID-19 pandemic reduced gas tax revenues, and this year’s allocation is approximately 7 percent less than the 2020 allocation.
“We have the fifth-largest state-maintained road system in the country, and there are even more locally owned roads and bridges,” PennDOT Secretary Yassmin Gramian said. “These critical investments help keep our communities safe and connected.”
There are 120,596 miles of public roads in Pennsylvania, 73,091 miles of which are owned by municipalities.
The Municipal Liquid Fuels Program funds projects that support construction, reconstruction, maintenance, and repair of public roads or streets.
To be eligible for liquid fuels, municipalities must submit annual reports; make deposits, payments or expenditures in compliance with state law; and complete the Department of Community and Economic Development’s Survey of Financial Condition.
Roads must meet certain dimension requirements, be maintained in such a condition that they can be driven safely at 15 mph, and must be formally adopted as a public street by the municipality.