(Washington, DC) - U.S. Representative Jason Altmire (PA-4) announced today that he has secured $625,000 for upgrades to Freedom Crider Road in Beaver County.  The funding was included in the Transportation-HUD appropriations bill for FY 2008 (H.R. 3074) which passed Tuesday in the U.S. House of Representatives by a vote of 268 to 153.  H.R. 3074 must be approved by the U.S. Senate and the President of the United States before it becomes final and the funding is made available to the recipient, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. 

"The development of Freedom Crider Road will allow residents of Beaver County to more easily access Cranberry Township and sites along the Perry Highway and Pennsylvania Turnpike," said Congressman Altmire.  "The goal is to boost economic growth in Beaver County and the region by providing an adequate and safe roadway for commerce and general travel needs." 

"I wish to thank Congressman Altmire for helping to secure this important funding," said Beaver County Commissioner Charles A. Camp, a member of the Executive Committee of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission (SPC).  "It will be used to acquire right of way along Freedom Road so that construction can start in 2009 for a connection between Route 65 in Conway and Cranberry." 

"This is a priority project for our members," said Jim Hassinger, SPC President and CEO.  "We appreciate Congressman Altmire's efforts in moving this important project forward."  The SPC is the region's forum for collaboration, planning, and public decision-making.  As the official Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for the ten-county region including the City of Pittsburgh and the counties of Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Lawrence, Washington, and Westmoreland, SPC is responsible for planning and prioritizing the use of all state and federal transportation funds allocated to the region.