Funding announced for bridge, roadwork
Nearly $1 million in grants awarded to 6 communities
NORRISTOWN » Six municipalities will soon receive needed funding for improvements to area roads and bridges as part of the Montgomery County Transportation Program.
Matthew Edmond, Montgomery County Planning Commission’s transportation section chief, addressed elected leaders, staff and members of the public during a Montgomery County Board of Commissioners meeting Oct. 15 to say which municipalities would benefit from nearly $1 million in infrastructure aid via the county’s 2020 capital budget.
According to Edmond, 13 applications were submitted, and six were selected, translating to $925,485 in grants, which “leverages $1,873,087 in total investment.”
Hatboro, Hatfield, Lower Pottsgrove, Royersford, UpperHanover, andUpperMoreland townshipswere among the program’s recipients, which Edmond said represents a wide cross-section.
“You can see that they’re in all different corners of the county. They’re not concentrated in one place or region,” he said. “So we were able to get some of the best projects out all throughout Montgomery County to all different types of citizens.”
The projects focused on Americans with Disabilities Act compliance, bridge replacements and general traffic intersection improvements:
• The Pruss Hill Road Bridge replacement in Lower Pottsgrove: Officials requested $196,800 to “replace [the] old bridge with new bridge with [the] new(with shoulders),” andthe total costwas listed at $246,000.
• First Avenue signal and accessibility improvements in Royersford: Officials requested $40,000
for “signal improvements” and overall “ADA accessibility.” The total cost was listed at $50,000
• St. Paul’s Church Road Bridge replacement project in Upper Hanover: Officials requested $160,000 to “replace [the] old bridge with [the] new (with shoulders),” and the total cost was listed at $800,000.
• ADA curb ramps for Crooked Billet Elementary School in Hatboro: Officials requested $117,500, and the total cost was listed at $146,875
• Hatfield Fire Company Flashers in Hatfield: The borough and township collaborated to request $56,500 for the “overhead flashing warning device,” and $70,842 was listed as the total cost.
• Improvements to Commerce Avenue and Maryland Road in Upper
Moreland: Officials requested $354,685 for pavement marking, reconstructing and widening, to which the total cost was listed at $559,370
Edmond said municipalities would need to match “20 percent for [the] first $200,000” of county transportation program funds and “50 percent for anything above $200,000 [and] up to $500,000 — with a “max[imum] award of $500,000.”
Montgomery County Commissioners’ Chairwoman Val Arkoosh praised the initiative as it provides an opportunity to provide assistance to designated municipalities in a thoughtful way.
“I am so pleased that we are able to support the local municipalities and the types of projects that they want to do, but also are consistent with our overarching Montco 2040 plan,” Arkoosh said. “So I feel like this is a win-win al l the way around.”