County commissioners on Wednesday, March 29, approved about $19.5 million in loans from the infrastructure bank program for seven municipal road, stormwater and sewer projects.

In a related move, the commissioners agreed to solicit proposals from banks and other financial institutions for a loan to cover the cost of the projects.

With the addition of those seven projects, the infrastructure bank program has helped pay for $62 million in projects, said Mark Gordon, the county chief of economic development and planning. The program began in 2018.

The largest loan approved Wednesday was for the Western Butler County Authority’s Route 19 South service area expansion and improvements to the water pollution control plant operations building. The commissioners approved an $11.3 million loan for the projects.

The Route 19 South service area expansion involves acquiring the existing sewage treatment plant in the Abbey Woods development in Zelienople and converting it to a pump station that will convey sewage through the authority’s public sewage system, and extending a gravity-flow sewer from the intersection of Russell Road and Zehner School Road to the new Abbey Woods pump station.

The water pollution control plant project includes construction of a one-story operations building with five garage bays, site parking, a shared driveway with the headworks building, public parking along the existing road, a “green” roof, solar canopies and stormwater management. The garages are needed for the authority’s equipment and vehicles that can’t be allowed to freeze in the winter so they can be used to service the sewage system.

The second largest loan is $3.9 million for the second phase of the Three Degree Road-Valencia Road reconstruction project in Adams Township. The project includes reconstruction of the roads, stormwater management improvements, construction of a multiuse trail from Mars Area Middle School north to Hammond Road. The loan would pay for part of the $5.1 million project.

A $2-million loan was approved as part of the $55.8-million project to upgrade the Route 228-Three Degree Road intersection, also in Adams Township. The project involves adding a roundabout, through lanes, turning lanes, service roads, drainage, new guide rails, new traffic signals, sidewalks and signage, and improvements to side roads.

The project area begins 500 feet east of the intersection of Route 228 and Mars Valencia Road to a mile east of the Route 228-Three Degree Road intersection.

Federal, state, county, and Adams and Middlesex township funds also will be used to pay for the project.

The commissioners approved a $550,000 loan to Evans City for the first phase of a stormwater improvement project, development of a stormwater infrastructure operation and maintenance plan, and developing a computer-based geographic information system (GIS) to track and manage the stormwater system.

Part of the Lower Connoquenessing stormwater planning study to reduce the impact of flooding, the project includes repair and installation of stormwater sewers, swales and curbing along North Washington Street, Center Alley and Sarah Alley; development of an operations and maintenance plan; and development of the GIS management system.

The total project cost is $644,045, with partial funding coming from the county’s municipal infrastructure program (MIP), which was funded by the American Rescue Plan Act.

A $500,000 loan was approved for stormwater projects in Harmony along Spring Street and Old Little Creek Road, which also are parts of the Lower Connoquenessing stormwater planning study. The project includes repair and installation of stormwater sewers, swales and curbing along Spring Street from First Street to Connoquenessing Creek, and along Old Little Creek Road. The total project cost is $819,950, with partial funding coming from the MIP grant.

For Jackson Township, commissioners approved a $465,000 loan toward a $973,579 project to reconstruct Whitney Drive and Tara Court and extend the main water line along Franklin Road.

Whitney Drive and Tara Court serve Sysco Foods and Main Steel, which collectively employ 150 to 175 people. The project involves reconstructing both roads.

The water main project includes a 7,600-foot extension of 6-inch and 4-inch lines along Kaufman Road, Franklin Road and Timberview Trail to provide public water to residents who have wells that have poor water quality and don’t produce enough water.

A $300,000 loan was approved for the last project, which is reconstruction of Woodcrest Road, Charlaine Drive and part of Saint Joe Road in Oakland Township to improve safety and drainage runoff. The total project cost is $893,496.

A representative from PFM Financial Advisors, the infrastructure bank’s financial adviser, told commissioners that requests for proposals will be sent to banks this week. Proposals from banks are due by April 24, and the county will be able to close the loan in late June or early July. An interest rate of 3.5% to 4% is expected, commissioners learned.