SHARON Trucks not using Winner road damage streets

The city is facing a repair bill of about $200,000.
By HAROLD GWIN
VINDICATOR SHARON BUREAU
SHARON, Pa. -- City council members were surprised to learn that trucks hauling steel coils to Winner Steel Services on Sharpsville Avenue aren't using a new truck access road that leads directly to the plant's rear.
Council was discussing damage to city streets caused by trucks hauling heavy loads when they learned that the 40 to 50 loads a day going into Winner Steel aren't using the access road that links Dock Street (Pa. Route 60) with the Winner plant.
Bob Miller, chief financial officer for Duferco Farrell Corp., which ships a lot of steel coils to Winner, told city officials that Winner hasn't opened the rear of its plant to truck access.
That means the trucks must come north on Dock Street, make a right turn onto Connelly Boulevard and then a left onto Sharpsville Avenue to reach the plant, he said.
City Councilman George Gulla said it is the heavy damage to the Dock-Connelly intersection that is causing officials concern. The city has been told it will cost $200,000 to fix it, he said.
Here's the problem
The center of the paved intersection has been destroyed by big trucks making that turn. Truck load limits were 80,000 pounds, but now Duferco has a state permit allowing it to run loads up to 125,000 pounds, Gulla said.
It's not only a street damage issue but a safety concern as well, Gulla said of the heavier loads.
Councilman Lou Rotunno expressed surprise that the trucks going to Winner aren't using the new access route that the city built at a cost of nearly $400,000 last fall. State grant money paid for the work.
The road was built primarily to help Winner Steel and get some of the truck traffic off Sharpsville Avenue, he said.
James E. Winner Jr., owner of Winner Steel, said later that there is no room for trucks to turn around coming into the rear of his plant, particularly with the addition of a new building which will house a third galvanizing line at the facility.
That doesn't mean trucks servicing the plant won't use the new access road, he said.
Using access road
Incoming loads will still come up Sharpsville Avenue to the plant's main delivery entrance, but trucks leaving the plant will be able to use the new access road once the plant's rear area is paved, he added.
That doesn't resolve the problem of bigger truck loads' moving through the city, and Gulla said the state law that created the 125,000-pound permit requires that local municipalities give their approval to the heavier loads before they move over city streets.
Duferco, which has been shipping the bigger loads for more than a month, never asked city permission to do that, he said.
Miller said Duferco is willing to secure any city permit required.
The bigger loads actually reduce the amount of truck traffic by allowing trucks to haul two coils at a time instead of just one, thereby cutting truck traffic in half, he said.
It's also cheaper for the company receiving the loads because they pay less for a double shipment than two single ones, he said.
Fred Hoffman, council president, said council will have a city permit plan ready for a vote at its August meeting. In the meantime, Duferco should stop hauling the heavier loads, city officials said.
gwin@vindy.com