Pennsylvania DOT commits $470.2M investment in liquid fuels distribution for local infrastructure

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The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) recently committed $470.2 million, 3 percent more than in 2022, in liquid fuels payments to help certified municipalities maintain roads and bridges.

Funds are distributed using a formula based on population and miles of locally owned roads.

The municipality must formally adopt a roadway as a public street to be eligible for payments. It must also meet certain dimension requirements and be able to safely accommodate vehicles driving at least 15 mph.

In Pennsylvania, there are 120,596 miles of public roads. Approximately 2,560 municipalities manage an estimated 78,000 linear miles of roadway and more than 6,600 bridges longer than 20 feet.

“We have the fifth-largest state-maintained road system in the country, and there are even more locally owned roads and bridges,” Acting PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll said. “These critical investments help keep our communities safe and connected.”

Prior to Act 89 of 2013, municipalities received $320.8 million in liquid fuels payments.

Local officials have several options available to help improve locally owned infrastructure. Twenty-seven counties have implemented a $5 fee for each vehicle registered to an address. A total of $218.5 million was collected and distributed to counties from December 2015 through December 2022.