The Washington Country Transportation Authority has taken a first step towards construction of its first bus maintenance and storage facility. Freedom Transit says it has closed on a 12-acre property in South Strabane Township. The property is currently the site of Tower Golf and the Amish Touch store just across Berry Road from Strabane Square. According to Executive Director Sheila Gombita, the property was purchased for $3.2 million and will be developed into an 88,000 square foot facility to include; bus storage, maintenance bays, a mechanical bus wash, outdoor CNG and gasoline fueling stations, and office space for dispatch and operations staff. Federal and state dollars were used to purchase the property. Gombita says the total project carries a price tag of some $48 million. Federal Transit Administration , PennDOT and a small percentage of local match dollars will be used to fund construction. The tentative timeline for the project to be completed is Fall of 2025. Gombita says the facility will help the agency efficiently maintain buses, improve service and meet safety requirements.