Document jZYgGdKwe6D1YV1kGMVJYg7N

(Comm of die Eittiteb VILIasbington, DC 20310 April 30, 2024 tatt5 The Honorable Pete Buttigieg Secretary U.S. Department of Transportation 1200 New Jersey Avenue, S.E. Washington, DC 20590 Dear Secretary Buttigieg: We write today to reiterate our strong collective support for federal discretionary funding for the Interstate 83 John Harris Memorial Bridge ("1-83 South Bridge- ) replacement project. This project remains the largest, unfunded transportation priority in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, with a price tag of over one billion dollars. Replacing this bridge is critical to ensuring safe, efficient transit not just in South Central Pennsylvania but throughout the entire Commonwealth. We urge your department to recognize both the merit and severity of this need by providing significant discretionary funding for the project. The I-83 South Bridge connects Dauphin County, home to Pennsylvania's capital Harrisburg, to neighboring Cumberland County over the Susquehanna River. In addition to being one of the fastest growing regions in the Commonwealth, this region is also a significant nexus for interstate freight traffic, with several intermodal freight terminals and major warehousing hubs located nearby. As a result, the 1-83 South Bridge carries over 125,000 vehicles every day. Unfortunately, the I-83 South Bridge has fallen into "poor" condition, with cracks in the steel beams of the bridge that will worsen each day as traffic continues. Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) officials have informed us that due to the nature of the cracks, the bridge must be completely replaced and cannot be rehabilitated. Additionally, we are told that the severity of the bridge's condition means that PennDOT may have to impose weight limits on the bridge, limiting its use for the movement of freight and creating significant congestion along other routes. PennDOT had intended to fund the replacement of the 1-83 South Bridge with revenue from a tolling plan that has since been struck down by Pennsylvania's Commonwealth Court. While PennDOT was able to enter a public-private partnership to address some of the other bridges that it had intended to fix with tolling funds, the I-83 South Bridge remains an outstanding need. Due to the project's expected cost of between $1.1 and $1.3 billion, PennDOT would be unable to fund the project through formula funding it has received from both the state and federal governments without reallocating hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of projects. This process would be devastating for all regions of the Commonwealth and would severely undercut infrastructure investment in Pennsylvania. OST-2025-1200 Page 02176 Sierra Club v. Dept. of Transp. - 3:25-cv-06221 SC_EVERSPLIT0028057 To that end. we are writing as representatives from all areas of Pennsylvania--including districts located hundreds of miles away from the I-83 South Bridge--to highlight our strong collective desire to see this project receive significant federal discretionary funding. The U.S. Department of Transportation has already use funding from major grant programs under IIJA to support other high-priority bridge projects and we believe that the I-83 South Bridge in Pennsylvania can and should be a worthy addition to that cohort. Thank you for your consideration of our request. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please reach out to Senator Casey's staff at (b)(6) Sincerely. Robert P. Casey, Jr. United States Senator Scott Perry Member of Congress Glenn "GT" Thompson Member of Congress L.) Summer Lee Member of Congress John Joyce. M.D. Member of Congress Matt Cartwright Member of Congress Chrissy floulahan Member of Congress 4/e4 2 Chris Deluzio Member of Congress OST-2025-1200 Page 02177 Sierra Club v. Dept. of Transp. - 3:25-cv-06221 SC_EVERSPLIT0028058 Lloyd Smucker Member of Congress Wild Member of Congress 7)f 1." 6'"e.- `4 41's*-- Madeleine Dean Member of Congress / 446q * Mike Kelly Member of Congress Dwight Evans Member of Congress 6ye Brendan F. Boyle Member of Congress aeschenthaler Member of Congress Dan Meuser Member of Congress Mary Gay Scanlon Member of Congress Brian Fitzpatrick Member of Congress OST-2025-1200 Page 02178 Sierra Club v. Dept. of Transp. - 3:25-cv-06221 SC_EVERSPLIT0028059