Work progressing on Bethel Church Road bridge project – Indiana Gazette

GRACETON A stretch of cooperative weather has enabled contractors to regain lost time and move up the target date for finishing a bridge construction project west of Homer City.

The Center Township board of supervisors reported Thursday that the crews completed five 12-hour workdays last week on the replacement of a culvert that carried Bethel Church Road over Aultmans Run.

The road has been closed since the start of work early this summer.

Were still holding on to Sept. 1, Chairman John Bertolino said. And we will notify the 911 center and fire departments if we are able to open the road sooner.

A long stretch of wet weather, including heavy storms and flooding that affected the work site, at one point had authorities looking at mid-September to complete the project.

The supervisors also reported Thursday, in a biweekly business meeting, that the township has asked county and state offices to allow Center Township to redirect a grant that had been intended for work on streets in the Coral area.

Instead, the supervisors plan to spend the $106,063.40 grant and the townships required local share of $31,819.02 for reconstructing Six Flat Road.

The supervisors decided that a tar-and-chip application wouldnt be suitable for resurfacing Six Flat Road following extensive storm drain pipe and waterline replacement projects this year.

The township has already advertised for contractors bids on the project. The supervisors will hold a pre-bid meeting at 10 a.m. Aug. 24 to explain the project for prospective bidders.

The board will open bids and possibly award a contract at 3 p.m. Aug. 31, at the next meeting.

In other business, the supervisors reviewed a proposed site plan for relocation of the Fastenal company to a new building planned on Old Route 119 just north of Lucerne Road Extension.

Fastenal now operates in a building shared with Nicks Bullseye Firearms along Route 119 south of Lucerne Road.

Engineer Terry Johnston presented the plan on behalf of developer Earl Hewitt, who owns the current and future locations of Fastenal.

Although the plan doesnt require formal site approval because the township has no zoning code, Bertolino offered a letter of approval that Johnston could submit with the plan for county construction-code approval.

The supervisors agreed to have the letter ready at the next biweekly meeting on Aug. 31.

The board continued to heap accolades on Trinity Energy Services, of Argyle, Texas, a company that has temporarily stationed its workforce at the new Route 119 Business Park along Luciusboro Road.

Trinity is a contractor on a cross-stat gas product pipeline construction project on behalf of Sunoco Logistics. The multi-billion-dollar project cuts a path along the Route 22 corridor in southern Indiana County.

Theyve been ideal neighbors, Bertolino said.

Trinity donated heavily to the Independence Day fireworks display held in early July in the Coral-Graceton area.

The company also sent its helicopter to hover over a rain-soaked ball field to help dry the ground for a statewide American Legion baseball tournament in late July.

We know of no other company that would come together and do these kinds of things for the community, Bertolino said.

NOTE: This story edited at 12 noon to correct the name of the waterway.

Staff writer/Web Editor, The Indiana (Pa.) Gazette

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Work progressing on Bethel Church Road bridge project - Indiana Gazette