Butler County will see several additional road projects in the next decade as a result of the new state transportation law signed by Gov. Tom Corbett this week.

Those include widening Route 228 in the southern end of the county and resurfacing Interstate 79.

The state Department of Transportation expects the law to bring in an additional $2.3 billion statewide annually by the fifth year of the plan, with $1.3 billion of that dedicated to roads and bridges and $480 million to public transportation.

Under its regular budget, PennDOT will get about $5.3 billion this year.

Deborah Casadei, a spokesman with PennDOT District 10, said the state has a “Decade of Improvement” list that it hopes to complete with money from the law.

There are nearly 60 prospective projects spanning 207 miles of roads in the county on that list. Among those are an estimated $74 million investment to widen a 4.5-mile section of Route 228 between Mars-Valencia Road to Franklin Road in Adams and Cranberry townships from two lanes to four or five lanes.

An estimated $51 million is allotted to resurfacing and rehabilitation projects spanning 36 miles of I-79.

Other projects on the list, which include mostly resurfacing and bridge replacement improvements, range from about $255,000 to $5.3 million.

Casadei said there is no schedule for when the projects may begin in the 10 years, and the list is a “living document” that may change.

“Nothing is set in stone,” she said.

Casadei also said projects could be added to the list, citing bridges becoming structurally deficient over time as a likely contributor.

The law also will allocate money to public transportation.

John Paul, the director of the Butler Transit Authority, hopes funding from the law will contribute to long-term bus replacements in the county.

Paul said the authority has two buses scheduled for replacement in 2015 and four in 2019.

However, a more immediate impact is the law opens the door for state funding to the authority’s compressed natural gas project, which would bring a CNG station and four new CNG buses to the authority.

The authority was approved for a $1.7 million state grant this year to match federal funds for the project, but it has yet to receive the grant because PennDOT could not distribute the money until the transportation bill passed.

Paul said he expects to meet with representatives from PennDOT in January to see when they can release funds for the project.

“PennDOT can only release so much money every year,” he said. “Hopefully we’re in that first wave of funding.”

The CNG fueling station, which will be built at the Transit Authority Building in Butler Township, would also be open to the public.

Paul said a best-case scenario for the project is that it would be completed by the end of 2014.

While the state will see numerous improvements to its roads from the law, the funding of the projects will come at a cost to drivers.

Part of the funding from the law comes from the elimination of the flat 12-cent per gallon gas tax through the uncapping of the wholesale oil company franchise tax.

The cap will be eliminated in thirds over five years. PennDOT estimates the tax on gas companies could rise to 28 cents per gallon in 2018, meaning the average driver would pay about $2.50 more a week in the fifth year of the plan.

Various vehicle fees will increase. The state’s $36 annual vehicle registration fee and $29.50 four-year driver’s license fee will increase by an estimated $1 to $2 in 2015, depending on inflation rates. Those fees will continue to rise every two years for inflation.

Different traffic violation fines also will increase.

The fine for failing to obey traffic control devices will increase from $25 to $150, while other fines and surcharges, including those for speeding, will increase by up to 50 percent.

The law also allows for counties to charge a $5 fee for each vehicle registered to an address.

Casadei said while there may be an added cost, it will be worth it to drivers.

“I think it’s fair to say citizens will realize $1.3 billion by year five is a staggering number,” she said. “People are going to see more money going to roads and bridges.”

The law also will allow PennDOT to raise the maximum speed from 65 to 70 mph on some roads, depending on the results of safety studies.