Shane W Potter

Slippery Rock Township has received a $790,000 grant to widen Kiester Road, Gov. Josh Shapiro’s office announced Thursday.

The grant will allow the township to eliminate open ditches, install stormwater piping and inlets, and add new culverts and a guardrail over two stream crossings where they currently do not exist.

The grant is one of the 58 announced Thursday by Shapiro’s administration. Nearly $50 million in funding comes from the Multimodal Transportation Fund for the purpose of improving safety, mobility and local economies across the state.

The township applied for the grant sometime last year, said chairman Paul Dickey.

“We’re going to make mass improvements to Kiester Road,” Dickey said. “We can do that with grant money, instead of out of our own budget. It’s a plus in two ways.”

According to Shapiro’s press office, the funds will become available this year.

“Infrastructure is the backbone of Pennsylvania, and our Commonwealth’s progress has often been tied to our ability to complete major projects that spur economic growth and create real opportunity,” Shapiro said. “Investing in and improving our infrastructure is a common-sense way to spur economic development, create jobs and help Pennsylvanians reach their destinations safely and efficiently.”

Dickey said the timeline for the project is not yet known — the process is just beginning.

PennDOT evaluated the grant applications and made selections based on such criteria as safety benefits, regional economic conditions, technical and financial feasibility, job creation, energy efficiency, and operational sustainability, according to the news release.

The program will funded 58 highway, bridge, aviation, ports, and bike and pedestrian projects in 37 counties this year.

PennDOT will accept applications for 2024 projects Sept. 25 through Nov. 10.