BETHLEHEM, PA — Pennsylvania will direct $250 million to 79 road projects covering more than 400 miles in 44 counties, accelerating work that otherwise would have occurred later as the state begins deploying $775 million in additional Motor License Fund spending over the next 18 months.
The first round of Rapid Deployment Projects is being funded through the 2026-27 state budget. The additional money is intended to move paving and other work forward while reducing maintenance demands and freeing PennDOT crews and equipment for other projects.
PennDOT expects about $4 billion of projects to go out for bid this year, according to the administration. The rapid-deployment funding adds work to that construction program rather than replacing projects already planned.
Three of the 79 projects began construction earlier this month, including work on Route 378 in Bethlehem, U.S. 40 in Fayette County, and Route 77 in Crawford County.
The Route 77 project advances six miles of paving originally planned for 2027. On U.S. 40, the new funding expanded paving from Fayette Spring Road to Flatrock Road in Wharton Township by six miles beyond what had been planned before the budget was enacted.
“Pennsylvanians will see more miles paved faster than originally scheduled,” Gov. Josh Shapiro stated Thursday, describing the funding as part of the administration’s broader transportation investment.
PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll stated that every Pennsylvania county will receive additional paving during the next 18 months. Moving the projects forward also allows maintenance crews and existing funds to be redirected toward other road and bridge preservation work, according to Carroll.
In Bethlehem, the accelerated Route 378 project covers the roadway between U.S. 22 and the Hill-to-Hill Bridge. Work includes milling and paving, concrete and base repairs, joint and bridge-deck repairs, overlays, guide rail improvements, and new pavement markings.
J.D. Eckman Inc. of Atglen is the general contractor on the $12.9 million Route 378 project, which is scheduled for completion in December 2027. Traffic will be maintained during construction, with lane restrictions primarily during off-peak periods.
The administration reports that more than 21,800 miles of roadway have been improved and work has advanced on nearly 2,000 state and local bridges since Shapiro took office. It also reports more than $11 billion in state and federal road and bridge funding and $197 million distributed to local communities through the Multimodal Transportation Fund during that period.
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