By Joe Pinchot
HERMITAGE — PennDOT has unveiled plans to replace the bridge on South Keel Ridge Road in Hermitage that runs over the stream known as Hogback Run, but a resident hopes officials will be willing to expand the project.
Rick McCreary of 1189 S. Keel Ridge asked at a public meeting Tuesday if the project would include stormwater improvements, because water collects in a front yard of property he owns on the southwest side of the road.
“They’re not big enough,” he said of stormwater pipes. “They need replaced.”
He added that a crossover pipe south of the bridge is “rusted away.”
PennDOT officials said they plan to widen the bridge between Sonoff Lane and Virginia Road from 24 to 28 feet to give anyone using the alley on McCreary’s property better sight distance. They are not looking to do much work outside the immediate footprint of the bridge.
“We’ll definitely try to address it,” PennDOT Project Manager Joshua Zakovitch said. “I don’t know if we can take care of it.”
McCreary said it makes sense to do the work when the bridge construction is going on, and he would be willing to replace the pipe on his own.
Officials assured other residents that their driveways will not be blocked during the construction.
The project calls for replacing the reinforced-concrete-slab bridge built in 1934 with a precast concrete box culvert, Zakovitch said.
The bridge is small – only 11 feet long – but will cause some headaches as the detour – South Neshannock Road and East State Street – will takes motorists five miles out of their way for the one- to three-month construction period.
PennDOT plans to advertise for bids in January and give the contractor from April to November to do the work.
The construction cost estimate is $700,000, with 80 percent coming from the federal government and the rest from the state.
