CRANBERRY TOWNSHIP, Pa. — Construction on State Route 228 is nearing its end after decades of work.
PennDOT officials say there is just one stretch of road left to widen. It starts at Franklin Road and extends to Pittsburgh Street, covering parts of Cranberry Township, Adams Township and Seven Fields Borough.
Wednesday, local and state leaders discussed how to pay for it. The total price tag is estimated at $102 million.
PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll committed state funds to half of it.
“My commitment then, as is my commitment now, is, yes, PennDOT would provide the necessary funding,” he said. “We’re at the final piece. The five miles or so in the Mars area that needs to be completed to four lanes.”
State Rep. Brandon Dukes hosted the discussion and reacted to the commitment.
“Very ecstatic. Excited. Grateful for the secretary’s commitment,” he said.
The plan is for federal funding to cover the rest. Advocates are traveling to Washington, D.C. on Thursday to lobby for grants.
Officials also touched on the topic of Eminent Domain.
Widening the road will mean moving into some privately owned property. One Mars business is already moving. Gratton - Kerr Financial talked about it on social media.
“PennDOT’s taking our office through eminent domain. So, we bought this building, renovated the entire thing, then we learned the Route 228 project was going to take our entire property.”
Dukes is hopeful there won’t be other cases like it.
“A lot of times it can be some of the land and not the whole property,” he said.
“This is a really growing area. We have tremendous economic activity on the 228 Corridor here. The need is there, the traffic volume is there. It’s time to update that road,” Carroll said.
The hope is to start this phase of the project next year and have it done by 2030.
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