New Kensington-Arnold awards final contract for pedestrian bridges at Valley High

The end is in sight for reconstruction of pedestrian bridges at Valley High School.

The New Kensington-Arnold School Board awarded the final contract for the replacement of the bridges as they also consider the rebuilding and possible relocation of a veterans memorial there.

The school board Tuesday unanimously approved paying Coury Construction of Lower Burrell about $321,362 for the installation of concrete stairs, a ramp, walkway and sidewalks for the twin bridges over Little Pucketa Creek that serve as the main pedestrian access to the school from its student parking lot.

Students have been using alternate building entrances during the construction.

Coury submitted the lowest of three bids. The others were from J. Palumbo-Encompass Building for $381,141 and Ligonier Construction for $502,965.

The bridges, themselves, are in place but require the additional work by Coury before they can be used.

Students are scheduled to return for classes Aug. 21. Superintendent Chris Sefcheck said it’s unknown whether the bridges will be ready by then.

The board, in October, approved paying Ligonier Construction $99,000 to demolish the old bridges and Bridge Brothers about $313,000 for the fabrication and installation of the new spans.

Including change orders, the district already spent $476,389 on the bridges, business Manager Jeff McVey said. Adding the latest contract with Coury takes the cost to almost $789,000. That’s about 5% over the district’s year-old $750,000 budget for the project, which McVey said is acceptable.

Trucks, cranes and other heavy equipment involved in the bridge work and other work at the high school damaged sidewalks in the area of the bridges, as well as the Veterans of Valley High Memorial between them, Sefcheck said.

Built by students and dedicated in November 2019, the memorial stands where a Ten Commandments monument had been located. Some former residents were among those concerned about the memorial’s rundown condition when they saw it during a visit in June.

Sefcheck said the district worked out repairs with the construction companies involved that will require the companies to pay for the dollar value of the damage to the memorial. All other costs, including any associated with relocating the memorial, will be paid by the district. A dollar value on the damages is not yet known.

The memorial will be rebuilt, Sefcheck said, either in its current location between the bridges or it may be moved. The district’s nearby football stadium, Memorial Stadium, was mentioned as a possible and appropriate location.

“That’s worth exploring, for sure,” school board President Tim Beckes said.

Bricks that were bought and engraved with the names of Valley High alumni who served in the military have been removed from the memorial and are being kept in a safe place, Sefcheck said.

“It will all be good in the end,” Sefcheck said. “That whole area is going to be completely new.”