City officials seek action on closed bridge

The delay in getting the bridge replaced is costing the city money.
& lt;a href=mailto:gwin@vindy.com & gt;By HAROLD GWIN & lt;/a & gt;
VINDICATOR SHARON BUREAU
SHARON, Pa. -- The city wants Mercer County to put a deputy sheriff at the Oakland Avenue Viaduct and find money to hire an extra school crossing guard because the bridge is closed to foot and vehicular traffic.
City officials have become increasingly frustrated with the $3.6 million project to replace the county-owned bridge, which spans the Shenango Valley Freeway at the east end of downtown.
Efforts to get the county commissioners to attend Thursday's council meeting to answer questions about the delays were unsuccessful, although the city did get a letter from the commissioners attempting to explain the problem.
Work halted
The bridge was to be finished in November 2001, but a misalignment problem that gave it a slight "S" shape caused the county to force the contractor to halt work.
That misalignment has yet to be corrected as debate over how to do it goes on and the nearly finished bridge remains closed.
The recent letter from the commissioners indicated they hope to have it open by the end of the year.
City council's frustration came to the surface Thursday as President Fred Hoffman pointed out the city had to hire an extra crossing guard for the Stambaugh Avenue intersection with the freeway because all of the children who crossed the viaduct are diverted to that crossing.
The county should pick up that tab, Hoffman said, adding that it should also place a deputy sheriff at the bridge when school opens to prevent children from trying to use it.
There is a danger that a child could fall from the bridge, he said.
Motion passed
Council unanimously passed a motion calling for the county to pay for the guard and post a deputy at the bridge.
The county began imposing a $650-per-day late penalty against the bridge contractor, Carmen Paliotta Contracting of Library, Pa., on Feb. 24. That penalty has reached about $114,000.
Paliotta isn't paying it, but the money will be deducted from the company's final payment for the bridge work, county officials have said.
Although it's a county bridge, there is no county money in the project. The federal government put up 80 percent, and the state is covering the rest.