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Several key provisions for Pennsylvania infrastructure included in Senate bill

Several key provisions in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act passed by the U.S. Senate will benefit Pennsylvania, U.S. Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) said Tuesday.

The bill would invest in repairing roads and bridges and tackle issues like broadband access, clean drinking water, and reclaiming abandoned wells and mines.

“Today, the Senate came together and made a substantial investment in our communities and our future,” Casey said. “We have allocated critical funding to make Pennsylvania roads and bridges safer, expand broadband access and improve public transportation while tackling the climate crisis by prioritizing electric and clean energy. These investments will support the economic growth of small towns across the Nation and rural and urban areas alike. Now, the Senate has to get to work to pass legislation that will meet the needs of American families by investing in home and community-based services for seniors and people with disabilities, raising wages for home care workers, expanding access to early childhood education and affordable child care, tax cuts for families with kids and paid family and medical leave.”

Casey said the Infrastructure Act would send more than $11 billion to Pennsylvania in federal aid for highways and another $1.6 billion for bridge replacement and repairs over the next five years. According to Casey, Pennsylvania has more than 3,300 bridges and over 7,540 miles of highway in poor condition. Since 2011, those conditions have contributed to a 7.6 percent increase in commute times, costing the average driver $620 per year.

The bill would also send $2.8 billion over the next five years to Pennsylvania to improve public transportation; $100 million for increased broadband coverage; $171 million to the state’s EV charging network; and $7.7 billion to reclaim abandoned mines and plug, remediate or reclaim orphaned wells.

“This vital, bipartisan investment in American communities is long overdue,” Casey said. “Without significant investments in infrastructure for decades, our roads and bridges are crumbling, and public transportation is outdated. Too many children and families don’t have access to clean water, and both rural and urban communities lack reliable high-speed internet.”

The bill next heads to the U.S. House of Representatives for a vote.

Liz Carey

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