WINFIELD – After more than 40 years of planning, and multiple ups and downs, more than 75 people celebrated the start of construction on the Central Susquehanna Valley Transportation Project Friday. A groundbreaking ceremony took place in Winfield with multiple elected officials on hand to mark the momentous occasion.
U.S. Congressman Tom Marino (R-10th, Cogan Station) said, “It’s been a long time coming with a lot of people involved and all forms of government. This is going to be a real game-changer. Thousands of jobs will be created. Businesses will be able to thrive more-so and it’s safer. Let’s get ‘er done.”
Chairman of the Greater Susquehanna Valley Transportation Committee and Shamokin Dam Mayor Joe McGranaghan said, “When you look up on the hill there and you see that bridge is going to stop at the top of the hill and come down, you realize what a monumental structure that bridge is going to be and why it’s going to take five years to build. I like the plan. I like what PennDOT is proposing. I like what they proposed for the southern section. I like what they have done for the northern section. So I think it’s obvious that a lot of careful planning went into this. I think the end result will be spectacular and a real benefit to The Valley.”
State Representative Fred Keller (R-85th, Kreamer) said, “Living here for a very long period of time and traveling the strip many times, it certainly is a welcome addition to The Valley and will mean a great deal for our economic development. I am very pleased our taxpayers are willing to invest right here in The Valley.”
State Senator Gene Yaw (R-23rd, Williamsport) talked about securing funding for the $650-million project, “I think it’s a good show of Act 89, which was a big push in the Senate to get the amount of money to do projects like this.”
State Senator John Gordner (R-27th, Berwick) explained, “This is the largest project in the whole state that resulted from Act 89. From our local delegation, we stuck together from the very beginning of this project to when it started in the Corbett administration and finished in the Wolf administration. It’s just a great day.”
The guest speaker at the ground breaking ceremony was State Transportation Secretary Leslie Richards, “So many people worked on this for decades before. You can see in the crowd, there are people who worked for PennDOT in the 1960’s, the 70’s, the 80’s and the 90’s. They’ve all worked on this project. I just feel very fortunate to be leading PennDOT at this time as the shovels are going in the ground and we are seeing this $650-million project across the finish line.”
The northern section’s river bridge project is underway and the southern section is in final design. The entire project is expected to be completed in 2024. (Ali Stevens)
