The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation announced Monday a slate of road and bridge projects planned for Mercer County as part of a larger investment in the northwest region.

According to a news release, the projects in Mercer County are part of a more than $219 million investment in Crawford, Erie, Forest, Mercer, Venango, and Warren counties.

Notable Mercer County projects include the reconstruction of the first five miles of Interstate 80, starting in early April. The $115.7 million project will rebuild both eastbound and westbound lanes, replace a bridge, and repair seven other structures. PennDOT described this as one of the largest projects ever awarded in District 1.

PennDOT anticipates awarding contracts for similar work on other sections of I-80 in Mercer County in the coming years. In the interim, the department will make repairs to sections of the interstate in the county.

Bridge work in Mercer County includes the replacement of the locally owned bridges on Gilmore Road in Wolf Creek Township, a $2.4 million project. Other bridge projects include the $2 million replacement of the Route 19 bridge over Johnston Run in Springfield Township and the $3.9 million replacement of the Scrubgrass Road bridge over Cool Spring Creek in Findley Township. Major repairs are also planned for the Route 58 bridge over Wolf Creek in Grove City Borough for $1.9 million.

Paving projects in Mercer County include 2.99 miles of Route 18 in Shenango Township, West Middlesex Borough, and the City of Hermitage for $1.8 million, and 2.72 miles of Route 518 in the City of Sharon and Sharpsville Borough for $2.1 million. A project to pave 6.3 miles of Route 718 in the cities of Sharon and Hermitage and South Pymatuning Township is expected to go out for bid on April 10, with work to be completed in 2026.

Intersection improvements and paving are planned for Route 18 and Route 58 near Thiel College in Greenville Borough. This project began in 2024 and is expected to be completed in 2026. Roadway and safety improvements are also planned for Lamor Road in the City of Hermitage, with a bid opening expected on April 10 and completion in 2026.

Additionally, roadway repairs are underway on Interstate 79 and Interstate 80 in Mercer County as part of an ongoing interstate patching project that began in 2024.