Pennsylvania Governor Rendell Says $95 Million Investment in Allegheny County Will Create Jobs, Stimulate Economy

PITTSBURGH, Aug. 5 PA-Rendell-bus-stop-7


7TH Stop on 25-County Bus Tour Celebrates Investments to Repair Bridges, Improve Communities, Expand Businesses



PITTSBURGH, Aug. 5 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ - On the seventh stop of a five-day, 16-stop bus tour, Governor Edward G. Rendell today announced $95 million in new state investments in Allegheny County that will leverage $8 million in private and local funding, create and save jobs for nearly 4,000 residents, improve public safety, grow the economy and build stronger communities.



The Governor's statewide bus tour is announcing $642 million in new state investments in 25 counties that will leverage more than $1.3 billion in private and local investments to keep nearly 30,000 Pennsylvanians working.



"Our national economy is continuing to pose enormous challenges for our working families," Governor Rendell said. "We cannot afford to wait for help from Washington, or for the situation to grow worse. That is why we are moving forward with a Pennsylvania solution to grow our own economy and create jobs for Pennsylvania workers.



"We know this strategy will work because we have proven it before," he said. "When I took office in 2003, Pennsylvania was trailing the nation in job growth and had spent most of the prior four years with a higher unemployment rate than the nation's jobless number. I worked with the General Assembly to create an economic stimulus plan that attracted new employers and improved our cities and towns.  



"Our investments paid off. Even in these tough economic times, Pennsylvania has added jobs in four of the past six months - while the U.S., as a whole, has consistently lost jobs - and our unemployment rate is lower than the nation's.  



"Here in Pittsburgh, with today's announcement we will have invested $1.6 billion in new state funds since 2003.  Allegheny County's unemployment has dropped 16 percent since January 2003."



COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENTS/BUSINESS EXPANSIONS



Overall in Allegheny County, today's announcement of $95 million in new state investments in bridges, businesses and community projects will attract $8 million in private economic activity. Including bridge work, these projects will create 3,200 jobs and protect 740 positions in the county.



The Governor announced the availability of $1.7 million in state funds for business development projects in Allegheny County, including:



-- $1.47 million for Aetna Inc. to expand its customer operations and pharmacy call center at its current Foster Plaza location in Green Tree Borough.  The company plans to lease additional office space and extend its existing lease.

 

-- $141,000 for PPG Architectural Finishes to reaffirm its commitment to Pennsylvania.  The PPG Industries subsidiary has relocated customer service operations from Florida and Kentucky into a leased space on McKnight Road in suburban Pittsburgh. 



-- $125,000 to Haemonetics to expand its Leetsdale manufacturing operations.  The company, which manufactures disposable plastic plasma collection devices for the medical industry, is building a clean room and installing new equipment in its existing 83,000-square-foot leased space.



BRIDGE REPAIRS



Despite nearly tripling spending on bridge repairs in the past five years, Pennsylvania has the highest number of structurally deficient bridges in the nation. This year's budget provides $466 million in new state funds to accelerate repairs to 224 bridges in the 25 counties on this tour. Overall, the commonwealth will invest nearly $1 billion this fiscal year to repair or replace as many as 611 bridges.



"The bridges in this year's accelerated repair program will require enough concrete to build 16,000 homes, which would be equal to a 60 percent increase in new home construction," Governor Rendell said. "In addition, that bridge work will demand enough steel to build four Eiffel Towers."



The Governor announced that 30 bridges in Allegheny County will be repaired under his accelerated program:  



Bridge Replacements

-- South Fayette Township -- SR 3026 over Miller Run 

-- North Fayette Township -- North Branch Road Bridge over Robinson Run

-- Elizabeth and Forward Townships -- Hutchinson Hill Road Bridge over Fallen Timber Run

-- Moon Township -- Flaugherty Run Bridge over Flaugherty's Run 

-- Collier Township -- Dorrington Road Bridge over Robinson Run

-- Hampton Township -- Harts Run Road Bridge over a branch of Hart's Run

-- Kennedy and Robinson Township -- Forest Grove Bridge over I-79

-- Findlay Township -- SR 3078 over North Branch of Montour Run

-- McCandless Township -- Pine Creek Bridge over Pine Creek



Bridge Rehabilitations

-- Penn Hills Township -- Jefferson Heights Bridge Intersection of SR 2092 and I-376

-- East Pittsburgh, Turtle Creek Borough and North Versailles Township -- SR 2037 NB over Turtle Creek Ramp at Braddock Avenue

-- East Pittsburgh, Turtle Creek Borough and North Versailles Township -- SR 2037 SB over Turtle Creek Ramp at Braddock Avenue

-- Marshall Township -- SR 4042 over I-79

-- Monroeville Borough -- I-376 over US Business 22

-- East Pittsburgh, Turtle Creek Borough and North Versailles Township -- SR 2083 Northbound Bridge over Turtle Creek

-- Jefferson Hill Borough -- Lobbs Run Bridge over Lobbs Run

-- Braddock Hills Borough -- Big Sewickley Creek Bridge over Big Sewickley Creek

-- McCandless Township -- Pine Creek Bridge over Pine Creek

-- McDonald Borough -- PA 978 Dolphin Run Bridge over Dolphin Run

-- Pine Township -- PA 910 North Fork of Pine Creek Bridge over Branch of North Fork of Pine Creek

-- White Oak Borough -- Long Run Bridge over Long Run

-- Hampton Township -- PA 8 over Gourdhead Run



Bridge Preservation

-- Marshall Township -- I-79 Northbound over US 19

-- Marshall Township -- I-79 Southbound over US 19

-- Marshall Township -- I-79 over Turnpike

-- Churchill Borough -- I-376 over Rodi Road

-- Monroeville Borough -- I-376 over Old William Penn Highway and Leak Run

-- Penn Hills Borough -- I-376 over Branch of Thompson Run

-- Monroeville Borough -- I-376 over Leak Run

-- Churchill Borough -- I-376 over Ramp

-- Monroeville Borough -- I-376 over Haymaker Road



"Pennsylvania is primed for continued growth," Governor Rendell said. "We can lead the way out of the national economic crisis by continuing to invest in jobs and business expansion, a safe infrastructure, strong communities and the resulting gains in productivity."





The Rendell administration is committed to creating a first-rate public education system, protecting our most vulnerable citizens and continuing economic investment to support our communities and businesses.  To find out more about Governor Rendell's initiatives and to sign up for his weekly newsletter, visit: www.governor.state.pa.us.



EDITOR'S NOTE: The Governor's weeklong tour will end on Friday in Reading. For the details of his schedule, visit www.pa.gov.



CONTACT: 

Chuck Ardo 

717-783-1116







SOURCE  Pennsylvania Office of the Governor