Butler County Commissioners are planning to borrow a little more than $9 million to loan to three municipalities to help pay for five infrastructure projects through the Butler County Infrastructure Bank program.

On Wednesday, commissioners approved the projects and a resolution to solicit proposals from banks and financial institutions for the loan.

The county plans to accept the loan in the fall and distribute the money to the municipalities by the end of the year so work can begin next year, said Mark Gordon, county economic development and planning chief.

Three of the projects are in Jackson Township and the funding is being requested by the Jackson Municipal Authority.

• One is a request for $2.5 million for a $2.65 million roundabout at the intersection of Route 528 and Ramsey Road to improve safety and access to the 281-home Londonderry planned residential development, which sits on about 120 acres along Route 528 near Ramsey Road.

The current intersection has a sharp bend from Ramsey Road to Route 528 that provides a limited sight distance for eastbound vehicles on Route 528 turning right on to Ramsey Road.

• The authority’s second request also is for $2.5 million. It includes $1.5 million for right of way acquisition for the roundabout project, $1 million to provide water service to the Briar Hill neighborhood and a new development on Zehner School Road, and $1 million for phase three of the Jackson’s Pointe Commerce Plaza development.

• The third request from the authority is for an $800,000 bridge loan to cover tap-in fees and short-term user rate gaps needed to fund the Franklin Road waterline district.

The project relies on 191 planned residential units on Pattison Street Extension to keep rates affordable. The new homes will subsidize existing homes needing public water. The loan will fund $3,500 tap-in fees per unit and projected rate gaps during the four-year construction, with estimated debt of about $46 per unit, per month over 20 years.

• Another municipal project request is from the Summit Authority for $2.5 million for the installation of main sewage lines to serve 314 properties in the Herman area of Summit Township, replacing failing on-lot systems.

The authority will own and maintain the lines, two pump stations and grinder pumps. The project area is from Moran and Schnur roads to the Pennsylvania American pump station on Ziegler Road. The total project cost is estimated at $24.2 million including the $12 million phase one.

• The third municipal project is in Harrisville, where the borough is requesting $730,000 for engineering services to restore and repair pumps and piping at the sewage pump station on Route 58 and the lift station on Long Lane; and to replace 3.5 miles of a main line from the Route 58 pump station to Pine Township in Mercer County, where the treatment plant is located.

The requests total $9,030,000 in borrowing from the infrastructure bank.

Gordon said the infrastructure bank subsidizes the interest rate the bank charges the municipalities by 1.5% to make the projects more affordable for the municipalities. About $900,000 in Act 13 money will be used to buy down the rates, he said.

Small municipalities, such as Jackson Township and Harrisville, aren’t able to borrow large sums of money and get low interest rates, said Leslie Osche, commissioners chairwoman.