SHARON County will skip viaduct meeting

Concern that the project may be headed for a lawsuit is keeping the county away.
By HAROLD GWIN
VINDICATOR SHARON BUREAU
SHARON, Pa. -- Mercer County commissioners are declining to attend tonight's Sharon City Council meeting to discuss the status of the Oakland Avenue Viaduct project.
The commissioners, concerned that the bridge project may end up in a lawsuit, decided not to send anyone to the meeting after learning the city had also invited the bridge contractor, Carmen Paliotta Contracting Inc., to the session.
Commissioner Kenneth Seamans said he and Commissioner Olivia Lazor, as well as county bridge engineer Mark Miller, had planned to attend the council meeting, but on the advice of legal counsel, they decided Wednesday not to participate.
What happened
The bridge, owned by the county, was to be replaced in 2001 at a cost of $3.6 million. The old one was torn down and the new one partly built before the county stopped the work because of a misalignment problem that gave the bridge a slight "S" shape.
An attorney for Paliotta Contracting sent a letter last week to the county, and a copy to city council, placing the blame for the two-year delay in finishing the project on the county.
The letter also indicated the matter would possibly end in litigation, and Seamans said county officials decided it was best not to attend the council meeting with Paliotta officials.
It's uncertain whether the contractor will be there either.
The letter said the company welcomed the invitation, but because its contract is with the county, it wouldn't attend unless the county had no objections to its presence.
Seamans said the county won't tell Paliotta what to do about the meeting.
Blames county inspector
County officials say the problem with the bridge is the contractor's fault, but the contractor's letter said it can be traced to a decision by a county on-site inspector making a change in the base material placed beneath the footings and bridge pedestals.
The inspector directed that stone, rather than concrete, be used as the base material, and the stone later settled, causing the misalignment, according to the company.
Everyone agreed the bridge was still structurally sound, and Paliotta Contracting sent the county several plans to correct the alignment problem, but the county kept coming back asking for more information, the company said.
If a correction plan isn't in place by the end of September, Paliotta Contracting said, it won't be able to finish the bridge this year.
Fred Hoffman, council president, said city officials are hearing complaints about the bridge and wanted those responsible for the project to explain the delays to the public.