Kelly seeks $24.8M for local infrastructure projects
U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly, R-16th, said he helped secure $24.8 million in the 2023 budget for regional projects — including $15 million for a road, bridge, sewer plant and fire station in Butler County.
The 2023 federal appropriations bill must still be approved by the full House and Senate.
Kelly said $6 million has been allocated for replacing the Karns Crossing Bridge that connects Butler and Summit townships. The bridge carries Route 68 over the Bessemer and Lake Erie Railroad, the Buffalo & Pittsburgh Railroad and Connoquenessing Creek.
The project includes intersection improvements and replacement of a twin-cell arch culvert.
“The Karns Crossing Bridge is a critical connector to Butler Memorial Hospital. Any closure of the bridge due to structural deterioration would close and/or restrict access to Butler Memorial Hospital,” Kelly said in a statement. “There are 2,953 businesses and 19,842 people employed within three miles of the project location. The area around the project generates roughly $2,548,026,560 in annual revenue.”
The Brush Creek Watershed sewage treatment plant in Cranberry Township will receive $5 million for an expansion and upgrades. The work is being done to improve in-plant flow management to help the plant handle peak weather flows and improve the quality of the effluent discharge, Kelly said. The upgrades will further limit hydraulic overloading, which is key to reducing the possibility of chemical contaminants or pathogens entering the Brush Creek Watershed, he said.
Phase 2 of the Route 422 bypass between Duffy and Whipporwill roads received $2.5 million, Kelly said.
That project includes surface improvements including patching the existing concrete four-lane roadway and overlaying it with bituminous binder and wearing courses, updating drainage and guide rails, replacing the concrete median barrier, structure preservation work and other construction.
“US 422's current asphalt overlay is fatigued and in need of preventative maintenance work so that mobility and travel safety is maintained through future life cycles,” Kelly said.
The project will provide a better road surface for the general public and truck traffic, and will adjoin the recently completed Phase 1. There are 5,143 businesses and 34,682 people employed within three miles of the project. The area around the project generates roughly $2,421,670,640 in annual revenue, Kelly said.
Kelly said $1.5 million was secured for the construction of a new Harmony Fire District station in Zelienople.
Relocating the station from Harmony will allow the department to respond to fires in the district within eight minutes and provide equal fire protection and services to the 9,000 residents living in the district, he said.
“Currently, the fully volunteer Harmony Fire District serves one of the fastest growing areas and the current location used for the facility does not allow for adequate movement or storage of equipment. This project will construct a roughly 10,000 (square foot) facility that will allow for growth as the communities continue to become denser and more diverse,” Kelly said.
