It isn't a surprise that Route 228 area municipalities aren't rushing forward to promise money from their coffers for the highway's proposed traffic flow improvement project in Cranberry Township. It would be a major surprise if those other municipalities were doing so, despite the fact that the project amounts to a regional improvement from which their residents would benefit.

Neighboring municipalities have too many of their own needs to address and should not be expected to give their money for what, primarily, will be Cranberry's benefit.

The situation can be likened to New Castle Road — state Route 356 — in Butler Township. It's hard to imagine a scenario in which the City of Butler would or could contribute to a project such as the one going on related to the new shopping center construction.

The decrepit condition of many city streets makes it impossible for the city to help anyone else. It could be decades until all of the current street problems in the city are addressed, considering the limited funds that are available for such work each year.

The fast-increasing costs associated with road work will pose increasingly formidable challenges not only for the city, but for all municipalities, in the years ahead.

Cranberry Township manager Jerry Andree isn't being naive about the prospects for other municipalities' help in regard to Route 228. That seems clear from the fact that he admitted he hasn't had much contact with nearby, but out-of-county, officials about the road project.

If he anticipated success in such a pursuit, Andree is the kind of person who would be aggressively pursuing that help.

Andree was on target in observing that area municipalities' emphasis should be on pressuring regional political leaders to put more attention on the road project. Meetings of such leaders are in order for the purpose of developing a strategy.

"We're counting on regional leadership to find solutions," Andree said. "This isn't about writing checks. It's about getting people together to promote a regional project."

That should include area legislators.

The original Route 228 project calling for renovations and additions from the highway's intersection with Interstate 79 to Myoma Road in Adams Township was expected to cost $85 million.

Approximately $65 million has been secured through state and federal funds and from private contributions, leaving $20 million that still must be raised. It's hard to fathom any scenario under which area municipalities and counties would be able to open their coffers to provide that amount of money.

One unlikely option would seem to be Butler County floating a $20 million bond issue to provide the needed funding. However, it's unlikely that county residents far removed from Cranberry — or even those close by — would relish the prospect of having their county property taxes increased to pay back the bond issue, including the millions of dollars of interest that would have to be paid in connection with it.

There still is ample and justifiable fear about what effect the county's prison project — now more than $10 million over the initial projection — will ultimately have on property owners' tax bills.

It's a nice thought that there might be pots of money available for Route 228 in area municipalities inside and beyond Butler County. However, the reality is that there aren't.

The odds are worse than the prospects of winning the Powerball lottery jackpot.

The solution to the Route 228 uncertainty rests with the state and federal governments.

The state found a solution to the once-in-danger Cranberry Connector project, which, now built, has proven to be a godsend regarding traffic movement in and around Cranberry. It would seem that a solution regarding Route 228 must also exist.

Considering the scope that highway projects entail, $20 million isn't really an insurmountable amount of money, from the state and federal governments' vantage point. What Butler County needs is the political clout on the state and federal levels to find a way to move the Route 228 project forward.

More than whether area municipalities will come forward to help, the question should be whether the necessary legislative clout exists in this county and region.

Municipalities would be foolish to commit money that would for a long time damage their at-home interests.