SHARON Plan to correct bridge defect is scrapped

There is still no timetable for correcting the alignment problem.
SHARON, Pa.-- The plan to jack up the steel support arches and place metal shim plates over concrete support pedestals to straighten the Oakland Avenue Viaduct has been scrapped.
Mark Miller, Mercer County's bridge engineer, said the bridge contractor, Carmen Paliotta Contracting of Library, Pa., has come up with a revised plan to eliminate a slight S-shape in the 300-foot span.
The new version involves loosening upper structure bolts, jacking the frame into its proper position and then replacing the bolts, he said Friday.
The contractor and engineers are now reviewing those plans to determine whether they will correct the bridge shape without placing any undue stress on the structure, he said.
No timetable for completion of that review or the repair work has been set, Miller said.
Nov. 2001 deadline
The $3.6 million bridge replacement project was to be completed in November 2001, but the county, which owns the bridge, halted the work after learning of the alignment problem.
It turned out that the surfaces of the concrete pedestals are not all at the same elevation, causing a slight twist in some of the steel beams supporting the structure.
Miller said the county isn't worried that the bridge would be unsafe but is concerned that the misalignment problem might shorten the life span of the structure.
Meanwhile, the bridge remains closed and Paliotta has been assessed a $650 per day penalty since Feb. 24 of this year for failing to complete the project on time.