YORK COUNTY – On the heels of an emergency declaration to expedite permits and construction to rebuild the collapsed bridge on Interstate 95 in Philadelphia, York County Sen. Kristin Phillips-Hill is reintroducing her measure to reduce infrastructure delays in York County and other parts of the state after a local project was over budget and more than three years delayed. Gov. Josh Shapiro released an op-ed touting the successful, temporary fix on Interstate 95 that took 12 days to complete. The governor credits speeding up bureaucracy and working together for the speedy infrastructure fix. Meanwhile, York Countians were forced to endure a dragged out, seven-year project, due to PennDOT awarding the contract to update the Mt. Rose Interchange to a bidder with a well-documented and known history of change-order scheming. The state’s procurement code requires state agencies to award bids to the lowest responsible bidder. However, the law provides stipulations for suspension or debarment of contractors based on work performed only in PA. Phillips-Hill’s legislation would expand the review into a bidder’s performance in other states, including the ability to meet deadlines and unbalanced bids. Senate Bill 871 is before the Senate State Government Committee for consideration.
SEN. KRISTIN PHILLIPS-HILL