The $100 million plan for improvements to the Bayfront Parkway is now at the center of a federal lawsuit focused on environmental concerns.
The suit was filed electronically in U.S. District Court in Erie on Tuesday morning by lawyers representing the NAACP’s Erie branch and the nonprofit environmental advocacy group Citizens for Pennsylvania’s Future.
PennDOT and the Federal Highway Administration are defendants in the lawsuit.
The lawsuit challenges FHA’s approval of PennDOT’s application for a reduced environmental review known as a categorical exclusion regarding the parkway plans.
The plaintiffs claim that any reduced environmental review violates several laws including the National Environmental Policy Act.