Federal funds paying for road, bridge and other local upgrades

Oct. 24—Testing brownfield sites and upgrading facilities at Shenango River Lake were among the projects in Mercer County funded by the $1.2 trillion federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

A good chunk of the federal money was designed to rebuild public works projects along with roads, bridges and airports.

Penn-Northwest Development Corp., the county's lead economic development agency, got $500,000 along with a prior $600,000 grant for brownfield studies throughout the county. These tests are to determine what chemicals may have seeped into ground on industrial sites and how to clean the land, Rod Wilt, Penn-Northwest's executive director, said.

"We want to get these locations back into use again," Wilt said. "We've already begun this work."

Funds already spent for these tests include Hall Technical Services in Grove City — the former Cooper Industries plant — and the former Sharon Tube plant in Sharon, he said.

Other projects may not have a high profile, but were still needed, such as a new building to house equipment at Greenville Municipal Airport.

This project also got two grants, one for $143,000 to cover surveying and design expenses with the second one for construction, Fred Murrin, airport manager said.

"The building is already under construction and will house our snow removal equipment," Murrin said.

Shenango River Lake is getting $675,000 for improvements that could include things used by visitors such as access roads.

Lake visitors pump a huge amount into the local economy such as for restaurants, hotels and boat rentals, Peggy Mazyck, Mercer County Tourist Promotion Agency's director, said.

"A lot of people don't realize how many fishermen and fishing groups travel far distances to come here," Mazyck said. "And it's used for other outdoor recreation."

Other upgrades may land here from state projects that got funded under the law. Pennsylvania is expecting around $172 million to support expanding electric vehicle charging stations.

Other projects in Mercer County receiving funding under the program:

— $1,593,417 — Creating four lanes along state Route 18 in the Greenville area

— $1,609,859 — Improvements along the Broadway Avenue corridor in the Shenango Valley

— $853,540 — For Mercer County to treat designated roads with a high-friction surface to improve safety

— $2,117,600 — State Route 3039 bridge over Lackawannock Creek

— $258,429 — Improvements on Interstate 80

— $508,123 — To realign and improve the intersection of state Route 173 and Yankee School Road

— $500,000 — For a bridge on Route 62 over Interstate 79

— $160,000 — Improvements on state Route 322 in the Jamestown area

— $115,0009 — Bridge improvements on state Route 214 bridge over Wolf Creek

— $900,231 — Improvements to a bridge on state Route 3022 over the Shenango River

— $234,039 — Route 62 and Neshannock Road intersection improvements in Hermitage

— $2,117,600 — State Route 3039 bridge over Lackawannock Creek

— $150,000 — State Route 2017 bridge in Coolspring Townhship

— $125,000 — Gilmore Road bridge on Route 481