Franklin expects a busy paving season
WAYNESBURG – The summer road paving season is going to be pretty busy this year in Franklin Township.
The supervisors awarded bids Tuesday for materials for the township’s summer paving projects. This year, the township expects to complete much more paving than it has done in past years, township supervisor John Higgins said.
A majority of the projects will be funded by natural gas companies whose trucks have used township roads and who, under heavy hauling agreements with the township, are required to repair any damage, Higgins said.
A tentative list of the roads expected to be paved include McNay Hill Road, Braden Run Road, Whites Road, McIlvaine Road, North Liberty Street, North Liberty Extension, Purman Road, part of Strope Road, Crago Avenue, Deerfield Lane, Arbor Court Road, Laurel Drive, Center Avenue, Oak Street, Inghram Lane, Stanley Drive and Miller Lane.
The supervisors awarded contracts to the low bidders for each item. Golden Eagle was awarded the contract for the two types of superpave materials that were bid; Laurel Aggregate received the contract for two types of stone; and Cool Springs Supply received the contract for six types of stone.
The supervisor re-bid for asphalt and equipment rental because of an error in the required material types. They will open bids and possibly award contracts for those items at a special meeting at 1 p.m. June 4.
As in the past, the supervisors sought separate bids for materials, labor and equipment rental and for “in place” application, which includes materials, equipment and labor.
This allows the township to award a contract for a complete project, with the contractor providing labor, equipment and materials, or to purchase materials separately and then award another contract for the labor and equipment to apply the materials.
The supervisors award contracts this way to save money. The township is often able to purchase materials cheaper than a contractor because it does not have to pay the 6 percent sales tax, Higgins said.
The township also expects to tar and chip a number of roads throughout the township this summer.
In other business, the supervisors voted to approve the purchase of property on Orchard Lane for a road improvement project that will involve straightening a hair-pin curve on the road.
The road is a short cut from Sugar Run Road to Route 19 used by motorists when there is congestion on Greene Street.
The supervisors will straighten the curve in advance of work being started to replace Freedom Bridge and the railroad underpass on Route 21 at Morrisville, which could led to further congestion in that area, supervisor Corbly Orndorff said.
The supervisors at a special meeting Thursday approved a $12.5 million bond issue for the Franklin Township Sewer Authority. The bond will consolidate the authority’s existing debt and be used to fund the expansion of the authority’s treatment plant.
The plant now operates at or near capacity, said George Scott, authority general manager. The expansion and upgrade will increase the plant’s capacity from 1.25 million gallons a day to 1.72 million gallons a day.
The expansion is not expected to result in a rate increase and is needed because of growth in the township. Supervisor Reed Kiger called the expansion a good project that will allow for further growth in the township.