Pennsylvania’s Governor Josh Shapiro was joined by the U.S. Secretary of Transportation, Pete Buttigieg on Tuesday to tour local facilities and industries benefitting from the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Act.
Shapiro and Buttigieg highlighted that investments into PA infrastructure can be felt nationwide.
Together, Shapiro and Buttigieg toured the Cleveland Cliffs steel mill in Steelton with union workers.
“What’s so exciting is to see that the rails and the steel that is being produced right here in Steelton is gonna go around the country. It’s gonna go around the world,” Buttigieg said.
Cleveland Cliffs steel mill has helped projects located in PA that would impact those up and down the east coast.
It was a Cleveland Cliff steel plant that helped forge steel that was used to rebuilt I-95 in June 2023.
Buttigieg said he remembered getting a phone call after the collapse of I-95 in Northeast Philly and immediately called the White House. He said he know the impact of this collapse would stretch up and down the east coast.
With the help of steel from Cleveland Cliff, I-95 was reopened in less than two weeks.
“It was union workers that helped rebuild that roadway in less than two weeks after they told us it would take months and months and months,” Shapiro said.
The federal infrastructure act has also awarded nearly $52 million to assist with expanding the Harrisburg International’s ability to park cargo planes.
“When we’re investing in even one airport, we’re really investing in the entire national aviation system,” Buttigieg said.