White House: Pennsylvania would receive billions from infrastructure bill

By: Daniel Moore, Post-Gazette Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON — The bipartisan infrastructure deal advanced by Congress would deliver to Pennsylvania an additional $11.3 billion in federal highway funding, $1.6 billion for bridge replacement, and $2.8 billion for public transit over five years, according to White House estimates released Wednesday.

In addition, Pennsylvania would receive at least $100 million to expand broadband coverage across the state, an amount that would provide access to at least 394,000 Pennsylvanians who currently lack service. The state would also likely receive $171 million to support the expansion of an electric vehicle charging network.

The funding numbers were among state-by-state estimates released by the White House as the U.S. Senate moves to pass the infrastructure bill this week. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act contains nearly $1 trillion in spending over five years, including $550 billion in new spending.

The estimates were based, in part, on funding formulas used by the federal government in allocating dollars to states. The state would have the opportunity to apply for competitive grants.

“The need for action in Pennsylvania is clear, and recently released state-level data demonstrates that the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will deliver for Pennsylvania,” the fact sheet states. “For decades, infrastructure in Pennsylvania has suffered from a systemic lack of investment.”

The American Society of Civil Engineers recently gave Pennsylvania’s infrastructure a C-minus grade on its report card.

Daniel Moore: dmoore@post-gazette.com, Twitter @PGdanielmoore

First Published August 4, 2021, 5:32pm