Delco, Chesco & Philadelphia get chunk of state's $39M water infrastructure investment

Three counties in Southeastern Pennsylvania are getting a piece of the state's $39 million investment in water infrastructure projects with the largest piece of the pie earmarked for Delaware County's Yeadon Borough.

Gov. Tom Wolf announced Wednesday a nearly $9.6 million loan will be awarded to Yeadon to replace several miles of sewage collection lines and lateral lines that impact at least 200 homes in the borough's system.

The money comes from the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority, or PENNVEST, as well as from state funds approved by voters, the Governor's Office said.

Prevailing Wage Reform Introduced in PA Legislature: House Bill 1226

Short Title: An Act amending the act of August 15, 1961 (P.L.987, No.442), known as the Pennsylvania Prevailing Wage Act, further providing for the definition of "public work."

Prime Sponsor: Representative BLOOM

Last Action: Referred to LABOR AND INDUSTRY, April 17, 2017 [House]

Memo: Prevailing Wage Uniformity & Fairness (Previously HB 1000)

Source: Pennsylvania General Assembly

Prevailing Wage Reform Introduced in PA Legislature: House Bill 1225

Short Title: An Act amending the act of August 15, 1961 (P.L.987, No.442), known as the Pennsylvania Prevailing Wage Act, further providing for applicability.

Prime Sponsor: Representative BLOOM

Last Action:  Referred to LABOR AND INDUSTRY, April 17, 2017 [House]

Memo:  Prevailing Wage Reform - The Competitive Wage Initiative (Previously HB 1095 of 2013-14 Session)

Printer's No :	1453*

Source: Pennsylvania General Assembly

 

PennDOT to tackle eight major construction projects this year

SUNBURY — PennDOT has eight major projects in Snyder, Union, Northumberland and Montour counties worth $723.9 million in 2017, including the ongoing $670 million Central Susquehanna Valley Transportation Project that spans three counties, according to PennDOT spokesman David Thompson.

“These are the big ticket items only,” Thompson said. “There are numerous other projects that can be accessed in the construction website.”

A long time coming: Center City may finally reach the river

It has been a long time coming, but Philadelphia may finally see I-95 capped with a pocket park of green, connecting its bustling center with the banks of the Delaware.

Mayor Kenney, in his second-year budget,  is proposing to spend $90 million toward covering I-95  between Walnut and Chestnut Streets with an elevated 11-acre swath that would also cross Front Street and Columbus Boulevard, ending at the Delaware riverfront.

The total cost for the project is expected to be $225 million, with $100 million coming from the state and the William Penn Foundation contributing several million dollars.

Kenney budget puts $90 million toward Penn's Landing park capping I-95

Funding for a large new waterfront park at Penn’s Landing will be tucked into Mayor Jim Kenney’s budget address this Thursday.

The mayor plans to announce a $90 million city commitment to capping I-95 and building an 11-acre expanse of greenery between Walnut and Chestnut streets. The project is meant to connect Center City with the waterfront. The administration expects this public project—estimated at $225 million—to spur adjacent private investment on a far larger scale.

“We have never met our potential when it comes to waterfront development,” said Mayor Kenney in an interview with PlanPhilly. “A lot of it has to do with a lot of the waterfront parcels being privately owned. But just concentrating on the central waterfront that we control, we’ve never maximized our potential. This will go a long way in doing that.”

The 2007 Civic Vision for the Central Delaware, a process led by PennPraxis*, was a first step toward that goal. It envisioned a new public park at Penn’s Landing and the Delaware River Waterfront Corporation (DRWC) fleshed out the idea in the Master Plan for the Central Delaware, adopted by the city in 2012. An intensive public engagement process and an initial engineering study refined the design, developed by the landscape architecture firm Hargreaves and Associates and were released in 2014.

South Jersey Gas pipeline gets OK

Regulators in New Jersey have given the green light to South Jersey gas to construct a 22-mile pipeline that will run through the federally protected Pinelands preserve.

South Jersey Gas said the pipeline, which will run underground in Cumberland and Cape May counties, will serve more than 140,000 customers in Cape May and Atlantic counties.

PHL, other Pa. airports split $5.9M in state funding

The Philadelphia International Airport and three other Pennsylvania airports have received a combined total of more than $5.9 million from the state. The funds are earmarked for facility upgrades.

PHL Airport is amid an evolution to make it an even more competitive and attractive airport. Among recent and completed changes is the $160 million worth of upgrades to Terminal F that now feature a new baggage claim facility and a food court area that seats more people, among other changes.

Mariner East 2 pipeline work begins after Environmental Hearing Board judge rejects bid to block it

Sunoco Logistics Partners LP said Friday afternoon that it had begun building the contested Mariner East 2 pipeline, after a Pennsylvania Environmental Hearing Board judge earlier in the day rejected a request to block key state permits allowing its construction.

"Work has already started in several areas," Sunoco spokesman Jeff Shields said by email Friday.

Judge Bernard A. Labuskes Jr. on Friday turned down a request by three environmental groups to block permits issued Monday by the state Department of Environmental Protection that would allow Philadelphia-based Sunoco Logistics to start construction of a 306-mile underground segment of the pipeline to deliver Marcellus Shale propane to Marcus Hook.

Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission borrows $430M to build new Scudder Falls Bridge

The Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission secured more than $430 million in bond money on Tuesday to finance the Scudder Falls Bridge replacement project. The structure carries Interstate 95 over the Delaware River between Lower Makefield and Ewing in Mercer County, New Jersey.

Skip Garlits, of Yardley, rides his bicycle under the part of the Scudder Falls Bridge that crosses over the Delaware Canal and its adjacent towpath in Lower Makefield on Wednesday, Feb.15, 2017. The bridge carries Interstate 95 over the Delaware River between Lower Makefield and Ewing in Mercer County, New Jersey.

The Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission borrowed just more than $430 million during a bond sale this week to build a new, dual-span Scudder Falls Bridge to carry Interstate 95 back and forth between Lower Makefield and Ewing, New Jersey.

Energy grid operator PJM to invest $1.5 billion in upgrading aging infrastructure

The operator of the power grid for 13 states including Pennsylvania and New Jersey will invest $1.5 billion to upgrade aging energy infrastructure across its territory, the organization announced Wednesday.

PJM Interconnection is an independent regional transmission organization that manages the high-voltage electric power system for 65 million people across the Eastern Seaboard and into the Midwest, including the major cities of Philadelphia, Chicago and Washington, D.C. Its board voted to spend the $1.5 billion necessary to upgrade electric transmission projects, both small and large, but the biggest project will address aging infrastructure elements in three New Jersey counties — Burlington, Mercer and Middlesex — and rebuild transmission lines. Some PSE&G lines and facilities in that corridor have reached 80 years of age, and are showing signs of wear, PJM said.

PA grants final permits for $2.5B Mariner East pipeline

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection on Monday approved water-crossing and sedimentation permits for the hotly contested Mariner East 2 pipeline, which would transport natural-gas liquids across Pennsylvania to a terminal in Marcus Hook.

The permits are believed to be the final regulatory hurdle for Sunoco Logistics to begin construction of the pipeline, though environmental groups that oppose the project, including the Clean Air Council and the Delaware Riverkeeper Network, are expected to appeal their approval to the Environmental Hearing Board.

DEP conducted five hearings and spent more than 20,000 hours reviewing the permit applications and responding to 29,000 comments on the project, Acting DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell said in a statement. Approval was delayed last year after DEP rejected the application to address “technical deficiencies.”

Lone bidder approved for costly Scudder Falls bridge-replacement work

The $396 million bid by Trumbull Corp. of Pittsburgh, the only general contractor willing to replace the free I-95 Scudder Falls bridge with a twin toll bridge under conditions set by the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission, was accepted by the commission at its meeting in New Hope today.

The commission had hoped to build the bridge for $300 million to $325 million. Two nonunion general contractors told the Inquirer the felt they were discouraged from bidding because the commission is requiring a Project Labor Agreement binding builders to work with unions in case of work disputes.

Trump $137.5B infrastructure projects list includes Phila. bridges

The Trump administration reportedly has put together preliminary lists of 50 targeted infrastructure projects, with investment in bridges on Interstate-95 in Philadelphia mentioned as part of the roughly $137.5 billion worth of spending, according to a McClatchy report.

The document notes "15 bridges on I-95, Philadelphia" are part of the possible infrastructure plans, though it is unclear whether these projects are already underway. The report indicates PennDOT would be the authority, and also says the status of engineering and permitting is "in progress." No specific bridges are mentioned. The report describes them as "structurally deficient."

3 suburban counties to get piece of $82M investment in water infrastructure projects

Three suburban Philadelphia counties are among the 12 municipalities around the state to receive a piece of the $81.9 million investment in water infrastructure systems.

Gov. Tom Wolf announced Wednesday Montgomery County received a $10 million grant dedicated to the Horsham Water and Sewer Authority.

The funds are intended to aid Horsham residents impacted by chemical run-off from the former Naval Air Station-Joint Reserve Base Willow Grove. At least one nearby homeowner has filed a lawsuit against the Navy over water contamination. The Governor's Office said the $10 million will be used to install new water distribution lines and other connections for Horsham neighbors with private wells that have been contaminated. The funds will also be put towards treatment systems for five existing drinking water wells.

High bid inflates I-95 plan for toll bridge at Scudder Falls

The folks who run the patched-up I-95 bridge that carries 60,000 cars, trucks, and buses a day above the Delaware River at Scudder Falls for free had figured on paying up to $325 million to replace the 58-year-old, four-lane connection, plus aging exits in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, with a six-lane toll bridge, stronger supports, and gentler curves by 2021.

Dozens of builders - including general contractors such as Driscoll Construction Corp., Tutor Perini Corp., and China Construction of America - have scrutinized the 1,800 items in Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission's plan, complete with hiring goals for "disadvantaged" contractors and protections for short-nosed sturgeon, brown bats, and lamp mussels living under the span.

Delta's Trainer, Delaware County, refinery posts loss, but the airline expects $100 million profit in 2017

Delta Air Lines' refinery in Trainer, Delaware County, posted a $42 million loss in the three months ended Dec. 31, and a $125 million loss for all of 2016.

Delta, the first U.S. airline to report earnings for the latest quarter on Thursday, downplayed the loss and said the refining industry is cyclical.

PennDOT gives $9.3M to 13 projects in Philadelphia region

PennDOT announced the award of $33 million in federal grants to fund 51 transportation projects primarily aimed at initiatives improving pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure.

Southeastern Pennsylvania won 13 of those federal Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) grants, totaling $9.3 million to extend trails, build sidewalks, and upgrade bike lanes. PennDOT gave four Philadelphia projects a total of $2.8 million.

$300M for Philly's port will create 2,000 jobs but it's 'bittersweet' for Rep. Bob Brady

Pennsylvania elected officials gathered Wednesday to celebrate the $300 million capital investment announced a month ago by Gov. Wolf for the Philadelphia port, expected to double container cargo capacity and create about 2,000 more direct port jobs.

The $300 million will mark the first major investment in Packer Avenue Marine Terminal in South Philadelphia and Tioga Marine Terminal in Port Richmond since the terminals were built in the late 1960s. And it will be funded by a bond issued through the state's General Services capital improvement program.

The port's cash flow will pay off the bond. "This is not coming from the taxpayers," Wolf said.

Reading City Council approves $137 million sewer project

Building and trade union leaders were in City Hall again Monday night to rail against the city's plan to award four contracts for reconstructing the wastewater treatment plant on Fritz's Island.

City Council voted Monday night to award more than $137 million in construction, electrical, plumbing and HVAC contracts for the plant. In terms of cost and size, the sewer plant reconstruction represents the single biggest project ever undertaken by the city, said City Managing Director W. Glenn Steckman III.

Councilman Chris Daubert and Council Vice President Donna Reed voted against two of the contracts. They said it was partly because of the size of the project, and because the lion's share of the money would be leaving Reading and Berks County.