The Waterfront in Allentown awarded $2.28M PennDOT grant

Allentown’s The Waterfront development has landed a major boost from the state.

The Waterfront Development Co. received a $2.28 million grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation’s Multimodal Transportation fund.

The money, which is part of $40 million in funding awarded to seven highway, bridge, bike and pedestrian projects across the state, will help with construction of a 2/3-mile, two-lane road west of The Waterfront, including four intersections with existing roads, trees, lighting, crosswalks, Americans with Disabilities Act ramps, water/sewer and stormwater.

The $300 million mixed-use development project along Allentown’s Lehigh River is under construction. The Waterfront includes six office buildings, three apartment complexes, three parking garages, a half-mile walking and biking path and outdoor plazas and amphitheaters – all on 26 acres on the western bank of the river near the Tilghman Street Bridge.

A Monroe County project also received funds.

The state granted $2.07 million to Pocono Mountain Industries Inc. to build road improvements on Routes 209 and 447 to support construction of Smithfield Gateway, a mixed-use development in Smithfield Township.

“The fund allows us to assist communities with needed transportation improvements that otherwise may not move forward,” said PennDOT Secretary Leslie S. Richards. “This process represents an opportunity for worthwhile local projects to secure the support needed to come to fruition.”

Before making the grants, PennDOT evaluated 251 applications totaling more than $282 million and made selections based on safety benefits, regional economic conditions, technical and financial feasibility, job creation, energy efficiency and operational sustainability.

The Multimodal Transportation Fund was created by Act 89, enacted in November 2013 as Pennsylvania’s transportation funding plan.

Source: LVB