A 10-county regional planning commission yesterday endorsed three major highway projects and 10 public transit projects for federal economic stimulus funding.

The action by the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission amended the region's 2009-2012 transportation improvement program to include nearly $46 million for continued work on Route 28 from Troy Hill to Millvale in Pittsburgh, $20 million for rehabilitation of the Beaver-Rochester Bridge in Beaver County and $16 million for concrete patching and repair of Interstate 79 from Canonsburg in Washington County to the Allegheny County line, as well as upgrades to ramps at the I-70/I-79 interchange west of Washington, Pa.

About 50 smaller highway and bridge projects were approved by the agency's transportation technical committee Feb. 27. Nearly $220 million in highway and bridge work will be done in the region with funds from the stimulus bill, known as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, signed by President Barack Obama on Feb. 16.

The law requires that half of the allocated money be obligated to contracts within 120 days of its enactment. The commission moved quickly to assemble a list of eligible projects, invite public comment and amend the transportation plan so they could move forward.

Dan Cessna, district executive for the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation's District 11, which includes Allegheny County, said yesterday's action will allow work to begin this season on relocating railroad tracks and other preparations for a major reconstruction of Route 28 in the East Ohio Street corridor. The project in later years will rebuild the interchanges at the 31st and 40th street bridges so through traffic won't be stopped at signals.

Joe Szczur, PennDOT's District 12 executive, said the I-79 work will begin this year, patching the concrete road surface, adding an asphalt overlay in some places and repairing severe deterioration on the I-79/I-70 interchange ramps. The project will be done at night and during nonpeak hours to minimize traffic disruption.

The commission also amended the transportation plan to reflect a $117.8 million overrun on the Port Authority's subway extension to the North Shore. The Port Authority intends to use $61.9 million in stimulus funding that was awarded by pre-existing formulas and seek additional federal funding that will be given as competitive grants over the next year to fill the funding gap. The $552.8 million project, to connect the Gateway Center light-rail station with new stations at PNC Park and Heinz Field, is about half done.

The Port Authority also is hoping to attract funding for 20 hybrid engine buses; East Busway pavement replacement; track and pavement replacement on Warrington Avenue on the 52 Allentown light-rail route; and replacement of rails in the Mt. Lebanon tunnel.

The commission endorsed two transit projects in Westmoreland County -- environmental assessment and preliminary engineering for proposed commuter rail service to Allegheny County and maintenance facility improvements for the county's transit authority. Other transit projects added yesterday were an administrative and bus storage facility for Butler Transit Authority's Pullman redevelopment area; renovation of an intermodal transit facility in Donora for the Mid Mon Valley Transit Authority; and roof replacement at a New Castle Area Transit Authority facility.