PennDOT wants public input on its 2027-2030 construction plan; Veterans Memorial Bridge project pushed back another year

LANCASTERONLINE | Staff

Rehabilitation of the Veterans Memorial Bridge between Columbia and Wrightsville and the widening of Route 222 in Manheim Township are among the Lancaster County projects included in a four-year state transportation plan that is now available for public comment.

From now through June 30, the state Department of Transportation is accepting public comment on its 2027-2030 statewide transportation improvement plan. Last updated in 2024, the plan includes road, bridge and public transit projects that are expected to get state and federal funding.

A total of $29.4 billion in federal, state and local funding is expected to be spent on transportation projects in the state between 2027 and 2030, according to the plan, including nearly $475 million in Lancaster County.

The start date for rehabilitating the Veterans Memorial Bridge has been pushed back from 2027 to 2028 at the earliest because of ongoing coordination between PennDOT and federal agencies on protection of several threatened and endangered species, according to PennDOT spokesperson Michael Crochunis, who declined to identify the exact species. It was originally set to begin in 2024, but PennDOT pushed back the timeline and did interim repairs after discovering more extensive rehabilitation was needed. The project will require a three-year bridge closure for vehicles, bicycles and pedestrians and a total cost of over $230 million. Widening and reconstruction of Route 222 in Manheim Township is expected to take place between 2028 and 2030, costing $75 million.

Projects in the plan are selected by regional transportation planning boards across the state, including the Lancaster County Metropolitan Planning Organization, which held a public comment period last month on its four-year plan. The majority of the comments on that plan were from people supporting the inclusion of funding to extend the Warwick-Ephrata Rail Trail into downtown Lititz.

A draft of the statewide plan and comment form are available now at lanc.news/PennDOTcomments. More details on the Lancaster County portion of the plan are available at lanc.news/TransportPlan.