New Transit Bill Would Bring $5M To KOP Area

UPPER MERION, PA — A series of projects around Montgomery County, including one in Upper Merion, would receive millions in funding under the newly passed transportation bill in the U.S. House of Representatives.

The $715 billion "INVEST in America Act" would allocate $5 million to a local project, the widening of South Henderson Road. The $17.5 million rehabilitation of the Bridgeport Viaduct, which was in the original text of the bill, did not receive final approval.

The huge bill is expected to pass through the Democratic-controlled U.S. Senate next, before being signed into law by President Joe Biden.

The bill includes six projects under Montgomery County's U.S. Rep. Madeleine Dean 4th District, which accounted for more than $22 million all told.

“It’s simple – it is time to upgrade our infrastructure,” Rep. Dean said. “I am pleased to see our district included in the bill, and look forward to continuing to work with the committee to bring even more investments in my district to provide safer roads, bridges, and water, and create a more livable community.”

The Upper Merion Transit Authority will receive $5 million under the new legislation to widen South Henderson Road between South Gulph Road and Church Road. The improved roadway would help alleviate congestion in an area that is frequently tied-up, and rapidly growing.

The largest, however, would've been the $17.5 million originally earmarked to SEPTA for the Bridgeport Viaduct project, a 110-year-old bridge which carries the Norristown High Speed Line over the Schuylkill River and into the Norristown Transportation Center.

The money would've been used to repair steel and concrete beams, as well as painting to protect the bridge from weather.

"This project is an integral part of SEPTA's ability to expand the rail network," Rep. Dean wrote in a letter which is included in the text of the bill. "Connecting the region's three largest employment centers with reliable transit."

The project, however, did not make it out of committee, a spokesperson for Dean's office said.