West Leechburg Hill Road work to last another 3 months
Motorists will have to wait another three months for work to be complete on West Leechburg Hill Road.
On Nov. 13, PennDOT closed a portion of the road in West Leechburg between South Leechburg Road and Pleasant Hill Road to make structural repairs to a large culvert.
The $400,000 project was expected to be done late this month, contingent on weather and operations. But PennDOT spokesperson Laina Aquiline said Wednesday the project’s estimated completion date has been pushed back to April 30.
“Repairs are taking longer than anticipated due to the job site getting flooded and cold-weather concrete curing,” Aquiline said. “Work is ongoing five days a week at a steady pace.”
The culvert carries a stream under the state road. West Leechburg Borough is not involved with the project.
The bottom of the culvert is rotten, and that compromises the strength of the road, according to PennDOT.
Crews are placing temporary shoring inside the pipe while the existing floor is removed and replaced with segments of reinforced concrete. Shoring is removed after each segment is completed, and the process will be repeated in about 10 sections until the entire pipe is repaired.
About 1,100 vehicles use the road every day, according to PennDOT.
The project contract was awarded to Allison Park Contractor. The company specializes in heavy highway construction, underground utilities and road and bridge construction.
On Wednesday, crews worked in single-digit temperatures as a backhoe operator dug near the culvert area.
The detour put in place by PennDOT takes motorists along rural roads starting on Pleasant Hill Road to West Leechburg Road, to South Leechburg Hill Road, and back to West Leechburg Hill Road.
Anyone experiencing issues with the closure or winter maintenance along the detour route is asked to report them to PennDOT online by visiting customercare.penndot.gov.
Joyce Hanz is a native of Charleston, S.C. and is a features reporter covering the Pittsburgh region. She majored in media arts and graduated from the University of South Carolina. She can be reached at jhanz@triblive.com
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