Bill will drive economic growth by connecting Cambria County to New York

EBENSBURG, PA — Congressman Mark S. Critz (PA-12) joined with local officials today to announce that he has introduced H.R. 5951, the Corridor N Extension Act of 2010.

This bill would extend Corridor N (US Route 219) of the Appalachian Development Highway System (ADHS) from its current northern terminus at Corridor M (US Route 22) in Ebensburg to Corridor T (I-86) near Salamanca, New York.  Corridor N’s southern terminus is at Corridor E (I-68) near Grantsville, Maryland.  By extending Corridor N north, Route 219 would be eligible for ADHS money to develop the road as a multilane freeway, with interchanges at appropriate crossroad locations.

“Extended Route 219 from Ebensburg to I-86 in New York will provide tremendous economic opportunities for our region,” said Critz.  “The benefits are obvious for communities that sit along the current stretch of Route 219 that has yet to be developed into a multilane freeway.  It will also benefit communities such as Ebensburg, Johnstown, and Somerset because of increased traffic and accessibility.”

“While I am still working hard to see Route 219 completed to I-68 in Maryland, it is important that we start talking about the next chapter in improving our region’s highway infrastructure,” added Critz.

The ADHS is a program of the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC), and was created to connect underserved communities in Appalachia with adequate highway infrastructure.  Because of the region’s terrain, it was difficult to connect many cities and towns to the original interstate system, and through providing money for the development of highways in Appalachia, the ADHS has helped to economically develop the region.  The ADHS has helped to develop US 219 in Cambria and Somerset Counties, and has also aided in developing other highways throughout Pennsylvania.

For more information on the ADHS, please visit the ARC’s website at www.arc.gov.