Montco breaks ground on federally funded Pottstown bridge as Trump administration funding cuts continue

Fifteen years after the Keim Street Bridge in Pottstown was closed, Montgomery County officials eagerly broke ground Monday on the bridge’s replacement, even as some worried uncertainty over federal funds could delay the project further.

Keim Street Bridge, once a critical artery crossing the Schuylkill to connect Pottstown in Montgomery County to North Coventry in Chester County, has been closed since 2010 due to structural concerns.

With construction entirely funded by federal dollars, work formally began Monday on a $20 million project to rebuild the 90-year-old bridge.

“We are preparing this region for the next century,” said Montgomery County Commissioner Jamila Winder, a Democrat.

The design of the bridge was 80% funded by the federal government with the other 20% coming from state and local sources. Construction costs will be entirely funded through a federal program established in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill signed by former President Joe Biden.

Under the program, local governments cover the initial costs of the work but are reimbursed by the federal government. Currently, a county spokesperson said, the program funding the bridge has not been frozen. But uncertainty remains as President Donald Trump’s administration has sought to drastically reduce federal spending, and has often cut off funding to already approved programs.

“We’ve been waiting a long time. We don’t want to wait even longer so we hope this funding is secure and will continue until the project is complete,” said Neil Makhija, a Democrat who chairs the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners.

Trump signed an executive order in January instructing agencies to “immediately pause the disbursement of funds,” under Biden’s 2021 infrastructure law. The order was presented as a temporary step so that agencies could review the disbursements, but still prompted lawmakers from both parties to fear it could imperil billions in funding for projects already underway and appropriated by Congress.

Trump has signaled he wants to claw back some of the dollars, particularly for climate projects. On Monday, a coalition of organizations granted $7 billion in federal funding for climate and housing projects sued the Trump administration to restore its access to money, which was awarded as part of Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act.

Makhija said the county would do everything in its power to ensure the promised funds for the bridge were delivered. Makhija has floated the possibility of litigation over other missing federal funds, including dollars promised to local nonprofits for housing assistance.

“We do have to front the cost and deal with the uncertainty that exists,” he said in an interview.

The restoration or replacement of Keim Street Bridge has long been a priority for Pottstown officials who believe the project will help fuel revitalization efforts in the suburban community. The project is currently scheduled to be completed in 2028. Republican Commissioner Tom DiBello said Monday he hoped the project would be completed sooner, while Democratic State Rep. Joe Ciresi said it was past time to replace the bridge.

“This is a major thoroughfare that should have been open years ago,” Ciresi said.

Staff writer Julia Terruso contributed to this article.