Cumberland County Awarded Eight Multi-Modal Transportation Fund Grants

CUMBERLAND VALLEY, PA (October 29, 2014) – On October 28, 2014, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) awarded 86 projects in 35 counties a total of $84 million in Multi-Modal Transportation Fund (MTF) grants. The MTF program was created as a result of Act 89 of 2012 – what is known as the “transportation funding package.”

Eight total MTF grants, totaling over $5.8 million, were awarded to projects in Cumberland County by PennDOT. Cumberland County is the fastest growing county in Pennsylvania and was recently ranked as the Best County in Pennsylvania by real estate website, Movoto.com. The MTF grant projects will create jobs in Cumberland County, increase safety for pedestrians, students, and motorists, and connect our communities via various modes of transportation.These projects include:

Cumberland County Industrial Development Authority, South Middleton Township (Rose Business Park) – $1.2 million to construct a connector road between Route 641 (Trindle Road) and Route 74 (York Road) to improve traffic flow at the Interstate 81 interchange at Exits 48 and 49.

Big Spring School District, West Pennsboro Township – $525,000 to complete pedestrian safety improvements, including installation of new school-zone signs throughout the school district and design of a pedestrian tunnel connecting Big Spring High School with the fitness center located across Mount Rock Road.

Borough of Carlisle – $1.5 million to replace the five-way intersection at Fairgrounds Avenue, Penn Street and North Hanover Street with a modernized roundabout or install a traffic signal to improve traffic flow and support the mixed-use redevelopment of three brownfield properties in the borough.

Camp Hill Borough – $424,000 to pave 38,657 square yards of municipal streets.

Cumberland County Industrial Development Authority, East Pennsboro Township (Summerdale) – $1.1 million for roadway, pedestrian, streetscape and traffic signalization improvements to support the Summerdale Mixed-Use Development project.

Lower Allen Township – $157,500 to install additional sidewalk links along Gettysburg Road and Hartzdale Drive to create a 1-mile-long pedestrian path that connects the Capital City Mall shopping area to a Capital Area Transit stop on Gettysburg Road.

Shippensburg Township – $154,374 to construct the final half-mile segment of a surface transportation improvement project at Shippensburg University, completing a connector road between the H. Ric Luhrs Performing Arts Center, the Conference Center at Shippensburg University, the Courtyard Marriott, the Downtown Shippensburg Commercial District and the Cumberland Valley Rail Trail.

Cumberland County Industrial Development Authority, Shippensburg Investors, LP, Shippensburg Township – $750,000 to realign Cramer Road at Exit 29 of Interstate 81 to assist traffic, enhance safety and provide access to a proposed 1.1 million square-foot industrial commerce park.

“CAEDC is grateful for the projects that have received support from PennDOT,” said Jonathan Bowser, CAEDC CEO. “The projects being supported by PennDOT in the county will be wisely used to maintain and enhance Cumberland County’s economic vitality and the infrastructure that supports Cumberland County citizens and businesses.”

CAEDC would like to thank all those involved in supporting these grants including: Governor Tom Corbett and PennDOT Secretary Barry Schoch – whose steadfast leadership on infrastructure funding made funding for these projects possible, the entire Cumberland County legislative delegation, including Senators Vance, Alloway, and Eichelberger and Representatives Grell, Delozier, Keller, Tallman, and Bloom, Cumberland County Commissioners Cross, Hertzler and Eichelberger, and our elected municipal officials and staff.

Without strong leadership and input from the Cumberland County legislative delegation, these grants would not be possible. This leadership will be rewarded with solid projects that county residents will be able to enjoy and benefit from for decades to come.

About CAEDC

CAEDC is Cumberland County’s authorized agency charged with leveraging and promoting Cumberland Valley’s economic development and tourism assets to drive growth, create jobs and improve the quality of life. Offices are located at 53 W. South Street, Carlisle PA. For more information, visit www.cumberlandbusiness.com and www.visitcumberlandvalley.com.