Sections of Route 88 in Charleroi collapsing
CHARLEROI – Several sections of a main route through downtown Charleroi are collapsing into what borough officials fear are large sinkholes.
The problem along Fallowfield Avenue drew Washington County Commissioner Harlan Shober, local elected officials and a U.S. representative to tour the damage and consider who will pay to repair the street also known as Route 88 south.
“We’re in deep trouble here,” borough Councilman Terry Newstrom said during the inspection.
The problem was discovered about three weeks ago when Municipal Authority of the Borough of Charleroi excavated the right side of the road to replace a 100-year-old main water line, Charleroi Councilman Larry Celaschi said.
Borough manager Donn Henderson said four of the collapsing areas are on Fallowfield, while another is located at McKean Avenue and Eighth Street.
Henderson said the borough is seeking estimates from an engineer on the cost of repairing the voids, some of which are believed to be at least the width of the street in some places and extend under sidewalks. The borough also plans to drop cameras into the voids to investigate the source of the problem, he said.
“We have a serious problem here,” said U.S. Rep Bill Shuster, R-9th District. “This is a major road.”
Shuster said he would attempt to find federal and state emergency money to help the borough pay for the cost of repairing the road.
“Once you start digging, it could go from $1 million to $3 million overnight,” Shuster said.
The state Department of Transportation inspected the road Wednesday and decided to restrict travel on Route 88 to keep vehicles away from the crumbling sections of the street, PennDOT spokeswoman Valerie Petersen said. Motorists will be directed to travel the left parking side of the road between Ninth and 10th streets, she said.
PennDOT representatives will meet with borough officials Thursday to further evaluate the problem, Petersen said.
Typically, any sinkholes beyond the street’s curbs on a state route are not PennDOT’s responsibility to repair, she said.