As a result of two trips to the White House and a weekend of mad scrambling on the part of the county commissioners, the county received a $20 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation.

The commissioners applied for a $24.3 million federal Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) grant in July after enacting a $5 fee to be added to the cost of vehicle registration in the county.

The fee was to prove to federal officials that the county had “skin in the game,” said Commissioner Kim Geyer.

On Dec. 6, the commissioners, U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly, R-PA, and others involved in securing the grant gathered at the county government center to celebrate the notification that they had received a BUILD grant in the amount of $20 million.

The funds would only be forthcoming, the commissioners said, if they could raise the additional $4.3 million in four days' time.

All three commissioners spent the previous weekend calling stakeholders in the project to widen Route 228 from Route 8 to Quality Gardens garden center to secure the $4.3 million.

Leslie Osche, commissioners chairman, said that being invited to the White House and discussing the county's issues with U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao made her think maybe the county could be a contender for the funds.

“At that point, I looked around the room and we were the only commissioners from Pennsylvania,” Osche said.

Geyer summed up the thoughts of all the delighted officials who gathered on Dec. 6 to announce the $20 million grant.

“We appreciate the cooperation and collaboration of so many people involved in this project,” she said.