The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and the City of Erie partnered to secure additional funding to extend the work area for improvements along the East Bayfront Parkway (Route 4034) in the City of Erie, Erie County.
PennDOT and the city collaborated to get $730,000 in funding from the federal Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP). The grant will be used to improve pedestrian safety and reduce the length of the crosswalk on East Sixth Street at the intersection with the Bayfront Parkway.
The work will be done is connection with the East Bayfront Parkway Project. More than 21,000 vehicles a day travel through the intersection on average, more than 14,000 on the Bayfront Parkway and approximately 7,800 on East Sixth Street.
The purpose of the project is to calm traffic, lower travel speeds and improve pedestrian safety.
Work on East Sixth Street is expected to start August 12, 2024. It will include repaving from Perry Street to the Bayfront Parkway, which will be modified to have one lane for westbound through traffic. Additionally, the lane to turn right onto the Bayfront Parkway will be moved 10 feet south and the curb will be relocated to create green space between the roadway and the existing sidewalk. Drainage upgrades, ADA compliant curb ramps and updated signs will also be completed with the funding.
The overall East Bayfront Parkway Project started April 22, 2024 and is expected to be completed in fall 2024. It includes various improvements between Port Access Road and 12th Street (Route 5), including raised medians, reduced lane widths, and micro=surface on the pavement, as well as pedestrian countdown pedestrian signals and pedestrian-only phases. Advance radar detection, LED signal heads, and phasing will be retimed and coordinated at the intersections with East Bay Street, Sixth Street, Eighth Street, 10th Street, and 12th Street.
The original contract cost is $4,453,413.21, which is being paid entirely with federal funds.
No detours are expected for motorized traffic. There will be lane restrictions and drivers may encounter traffic controlled by flaggers at different phases of the work.
Some work will require short pedestrian detours with no more than one crosswalk closed at any intersection at a time. Detours will be ADA-compliant and will be in place at no more than two intersections simultaneously.
The contractor is Joseph McCormick Construction Company, Inc. of Erie, PA.
This project is funded at least in part by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). In 2024 alone, the BIL is bringing approximately $25 million in additional funding to the northwest region to be allocated by the department and its local Metropolitan and Rural Planning Organization (MPO/RPO) partners. In the northwest region, the planning partners are the Erie Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), the Shenango Valley MPO, and the Northwest Rural Planning Organization (RPO) for projects in Crawford, Erie, Forest, Mercer, Venango, and Warren counties.
The information on the East Bayfront Parkway Project can be accessed by visiting the PennDOT District 1 website, www.penndot.pa.gov/District1 under the Design and Construction Projects link.
This year PennDOT's Northwest Region expects to do work on more than 100 projects. To see a full listing of all the anticipated work, check out the 2024 Construction Book located under the Resources tab online at www.penndot.pa.gov/District1.
PennDOT urges motorists to slow down when driving in work zones, and to be alert to changing conditions, avoid distractions and to pay attention to signs and flaggers. Drive responsibly in work zones for your safety and the safety of the workers.
Motorists can check conditions on major roadways by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information and access to more than 1,000 traffic cameras.
511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional Twitter alerts accessible on the 511PA website.
Subscribe to PennDOT news and traffic alerts in Crawford, Erie, Forest, Mercer, Venango, and Warren counties at www.penndot.pa.gov/District1.
Information about infrastructure in District 1, including completed work and significant projects, is available at www.penndot.pa.gov/D1Results. Find PennDOT's planned and active construction projects at www.projects.penndot.gov.
Follow local PennDOT news on X and like the department on Facebook.
PennDOT District 1 is hiring for variety of positions, including CDL operators, mechanics, highway maintenance workers, civil engineers, construction inspectors, and transportation technicians. Apply online at www.employment.pa.gov.
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MEDIA CONTACT: Jill Harry, 814-678-5035 or jharry@pa.gov
