RECONSTRUCTION Project nears end after testing

The project was supposed to be finished last summer.
By DENISE DICK
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- Work is expected to resume next week on a long-awaited and often-stalled road reconstruction project.
Last month, officials from the city's engineering, planning and building department stopped work on the Parkman Road reconstruction project because they suspected the material the company was using didn't meet city standards.
Rhino Excavating and Milling of Girard is the contractor for the project, which was supposed to be completed last summer.
The city wants contractors to use granulated slag on road projects. The material was sent to a lab for testing, which concluded the material contained slag with a trace of debris, said William Totten, engineering, planning and building department director.
Totten said the company will be allowed to use the product it has on-site for the project, but when more material is brought in, the company will have to present documentation of where and how much was purchased.
Rhino officials couldn't be reached to comment.
Deadline fines
Work restarted late last month, with the company accumulating fines of $1,000 per day for not meeting the deadline. The fines did not accumulate while testing was being conducted, Totten said. The fines will be deducted from the contract amount.
The city is footing the roughly $500 bill for the tests.
Skip Hanes, the city's project manager, said he faxed a letter to the company Thursday telling company officials they could resume work but asking for 24 hours' notice so the city could have someone at the site.
He hadn't heard from the company as of Thursday afternoon but talked to a representative from the company that is doing the curb work, who said they'd resume work Monday.
The $869,000 project involves reconstruction of Parkman N.W. from Summit Street to just beyond Northfield Avenue and Parkman S.W. from West Market Street to Palmyra Road S.W.
"We really want them to finish the job and it to be over with," Totten said.