Uniontown officials moved quickly Thursday to lock in a multimillion‑dollar grant that will modernize a key stretch of the city’s road network. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation approved a $1,028,038 Multimodal Grant tied to the Sheepskin Trail, and the City Council voted to accept the funding.
Grant purpose and expected benefits
Mayor Bill Gerke explained that the money will be used to reconfigure four traffic lights along the Sheepskin Trail corridor. The upgrades are designed to better accommodate foot and bike traffic while preserving smooth flow for automotive travel. “We’re not including foot/bike traffic now, so after we reconfigure those, it’ll make it easier and safer for foot/bike traffic, and of course automotive traffic as well,” Gerke said.
In addition to the reconfiguration, the grant will fund repairs to existing signals, including a light that has been out of service for an extended period in front of the city fire station at East Penn Street and North Beeson Avenue. “It’s a very costly fix,” Gerke noted, emphasizing the importance of restoring reliable service for emergency responders.
Sheepskin Trail connection
The Sheepskin Trail is a planned multi‑use pathway that will run parallel to Beeson Avenue. According to a PennDOT website dedicated to the project, signal improvements are a prerequisite for the separate, paved trail segment that other community groups will construct once the traffic lights are upgraded. The grant therefore supports both vehicular safety and the broader vision of a connected, non‑motorized transportation network.
Funding timeline
Gerke said the city previously pursued a federal grant for the same improvements, but the PennDOT award offers a more reliable path forward. “This is about the same structure as the previous grant we had applied for. This seems to work a little better for us,” he said.
PennDOT is expected to confirm the award sometime after the start of 2027. When the grant is officially received, the city will move ahead with repairing the fire‑station light and three additional signals along Beeson Avenue.
Community impact
Local residents and businesses stand to benefit from smoother traffic flow and safer crossings. The project aligns with Uniontown’s ongoing efforts to enhance infrastructure, support active‑transport options, and ensure that emergency services have reliable signal access.
City Council members expressed confidence that the grant will help the municipality meet its transportation goals without imposing new taxes on residents. The council plans to keep the public informed as the project moves from design to construction, with updates expected at future council meetings.
Next steps
Once the grant is awarded, Uniontown will coordinate with PennDOT and local contractors to finalize engineering plans, secure any additional permits, and schedule construction. The city anticipates that the signal upgrades and repairs could be completed by late 2028, pending weather and funding disbursement schedules.
Mayor Gerke thanked the council, PennDOT staff, and community volunteers for their collaborative effort, noting that the grant represents a tangible investment in Uniontown’s future mobility and safety.
Original reporting: Herald-Standard – latest news for Uniontown, Pennsylvania — read the source article.
