The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) recently expedited the expansion of U.S. 219 in Somerset County with the aid of $53 million in funding from Appalachian Program Development (APD) included in the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
The project will upgrade the county’s remaining two-lane section of U.S. 219 to a four-lane, limited-access highway. This section includes U.S. 219 from the southern end of the Meyersdale Bypass to the northern end of the recently completed U.S. 219/Interstate 68 interchange near Old Salisbury Road in Maryland.
U.S. 219 qualifies for federal APD funding because it is part of the Appalachian Development Highway System. Roads in the system provide access to regional and national markets.
Funding will conclude the remaining preconstruction phase activities of the final design, right-of-way, and utilities. A design team is performing resource agency coordination and environmental data collection and recently began engaging local public officials and residents for their feedback.
“The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is making significant progress possible across Pennsylvania,” PennDOT Secretary Yassmin Gramian said. “This investment also shows the commitment to growing and supporting our rural economies and transportation system.”
In November 2020, the project received $6 million in APD funding to begin the environmental studies and alignment selection phase of the project.