FRANKLIN COUNTY, Pa. — Franklin County will receive federal funding to help pay for a new Interstate 81 interchange.
The Franklin County Metropolitan Planning Organization (FCMPO) today announced that it will receive the money from a federal Consolidated Appropriation Act signed into law earlier this month. The committee says it worked with county officials to submit requests to Senators Bob Casey and John Fetterman and Representative John Joyce, who advanced the project through their congressional chambers before President Biden signed it into law on March 9.
“We are incredibly grateful for the support of our elected officials in Washington,” said Franklin County commissioner chairman Dean Horst. “Improving Interstate 81 is vital to everyone who lives in or travels through Franklin County, and we are pleased that our legislators pushed for much-needed funding for these enhancements.”
The money is earmarked for a project that will construct a new interchange, exit 12, on I-81 at Guilford Springs Road. Officials say this interchange will provide safer, more direct access for freight traffic to area business parks as well as improved access to I-81 for local traffic.
In all, the project is expected to cost $60 million. Construction is slated to begin in 2026.
The project is part of FCMPO's Transportation Improvement Plan. The organization also recently completed an I-81 Prioritization Plan, which includes projects such as more interchange improvements and widening the highway to three lanes.
“This additional funding is an exciting first step in investing in the I-81 corridor, but it can’t stop here,” said FCMPO chairman Sam Cressler. “We need to continue to emphasize to officials in Harrisburg and Washington the economic importance of the I-81 corridor and the limitations that are imposed by its existing capacity for continued growth, safety and quality of life in ours and surrounding regions.”
