The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) recently held the groundbreaking ceremony for the Central Susquehanna Valley Transportation Project (CSVT) in Northumberland County.
The project will address safety and congestion by connecting Route 15 in Union and Snyder counties to Route 147.
Planning for the project began in 1959 when a Route 15 corridor study was completed, but funding was not available until 2013. Approximately $6 million from the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law supports the first contract on the southern section.
The northern section of the project will connect Route 147 south of Montandon in Northumberland County to Route 15 south of Winfield in Union County.
The $360 million southern section will connect the northern section south of Winfield to the existing Routes 11/15 interchange just north of Selinsgrove in Snyder County. Approximately 6 miles of four-lane, limited-access highway will be built. Work also includes an interchange/connector to Route 61 and Routes 11/15 in Shamokin Dam.
Construction on the southern section will be completed through three contracts. Contract one was awarded in March.
Final design work for contracts two and three have yet to be bid. They involve primarily structures and pavement.
PennDOT has applied for federal funding to offset the costs of the second construction contract.