State grants sought for O’Hara Township Community Park bridge and trail repair project

Michael DiVittorio
Thursday, Feb. 10, 2022 12:01 a.m. | Thursday, Feb. 10, 2022 12:01 a.m.

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Michael DiVittorio | Tribune-Review

This footbridge near the walking trail in O’Hara Township Community Park has been closed for more than a year due to failing gabion baskets located along the edge of the stream. O’Hara officials are seeking state grants to help with repairs and eventually reopen the bridge.

O’Hara officials hope to use state grants to finance a repair project in the township’s community park.

The footbridge over Squaw Run, a tributary of the Allegheny River, has been closed for more than a year due to failing gabion baskets located along the edge of the stream.

Gabion baskets are galvanized steel, double twisted, woven wire mesh filled with stone used for retaining walls, slope paving, stream bank protection and other purposes.

Township manager Julie Jakubec said the bridge is in good shape, but baskets and area around it need to be stabilized.

“The bridge is still there,” Jakubec said. “The trail that it leads to needs restored. We need to totally redo it.”

The repair project is estimated at between $250,000 to $300,000.

The township seeks $106,200 in state Department of Community and Economic Development funds and $62,500 in state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources monies to help cover the costs.

The DCED grant comes with a 15% township match while the DCNR grant requires a 50% match.

Jakubec said grant applications are due by the end of the month. O’Hara was unsuccessful in acquiring the those grants last year.

“Grants are competitive, and sometimes you have to take two bites at the apple to make them happen,” Jakubec said.

Councilman George Stewart said the township hopes to get the stream banks in order by this summer.

“We’d like to get that open, and in order to get it open, we have to do the work underneath,” he said. “We’re hoping to get some of these grants and get it done. I would think that if we got both of those grants, we would certainly get to work on it.

“It’s very important for us to provide recreation not only to the O’Hara community, but provide recreation to the whole school district community. All the school district communities have parks, so we share each other’s resources.”

A contractor has not been selected for the project yet. Construction may take about two months to complete once work gets underway.