Edgeworth officials moving forward with Beaver Road wall replacement
A failing stone wall that supports Beaver Road between Church and Edgeworth lanes in Edgeworth is expected to be repaired later this year.
Council plans to send the estimated $1.6 million project out for bid in February.
Borough manager John Schwend said the road is not at risk of collapsing and the project is not an emergency repair.
“This has been in design and planning for a couple years now and we’re finally able to take on the project,” Schwend said.
However, the sidewalk along the aforementioned stretch has been closed for many months due to safety concerns. Those concerns have grown due to the gas, water and telephone lines underneath.
“This has been a situation for quite some time, this caving of the wall,” council vice president Ivan Hofmann. “I think people can see the depression in the road, which is an indicator of how it is washing out underneath the road. … If the road were to have caved, all those lines could have been severed.”
The borough made several spot repairs to the wall through the years.
The goal is to start construction in the spring or summer and have it done by fall at the latest, and construction is expected to take four to six weeks to complete.
Work includes building a soil nail wall to cover and enforce the existing stone wall, a new sidewalk and handrails.
Schwend said one of the reasons council can move forward with the major construction is due to a $452,000 grant through the state Department of Community & Economic Development’s Local Share Account program.
No matching funds are required for the grant. The remaining project costs will be covered by the borough’s capital improvement budget.
Hofmann said the money is the largest amount awarded in borough history.
“This really makes a big dent in the cost,” Hofmann said. “This is going to be a tremendous help to our borough budget.”
Edgeworth also recently received cooperation from nearby residents to go on to their private property as part of the project.
Michael DiVittorio is a TribLive reporter covering general news in Western Pennsylvania, with a penchant for festivals and food. He can be reached at mdivittorio@triblive.com.
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