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Construction to begin this month

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MATHER – Construction is expected to begin later this month to repair Pollocks Mills Bridge, which was heavily damaged a year ago when an overweight water truck attempted to cross the 137-year-old span.

People’s Natural Gas crews finished work Monday to redirect a natural gas pipeline that previously crossed the bridge, which will now allow for reconstruction to begin soon.

The work will take 30 to 60 days, meaning the bridge is expected to reopen before the end of the year, barring any construction setbacks, Greene County Chief Clerk Jeff Marshall.

County officials met twice with the general contractor and fabricator hired to repair the bridge. Workers will have to repair and replace steel and iron beams bent from the overweight truck. Crews will also replace wooden boards that cover the bridge’s deck, Marshall said.

The bridge near Mather crosses Ten Mile Creek between Morgan and Jefferson townships. It partially collapsed Sept. 28 when a Buccaneer Enterprises truck driven by Jason Strawderman of Beverly, W.Va., attempted to cross it. The truck weighed about 16.5 tons and was hauling freshwater to an EQT well site when it partially fell through the deck, spilling some of the water into the creek below.

A similar weight restriction of 4 tons will remain in place once the bridge reopens, Marshall said.

Morgan Township Supervisor Dominick Barbetta said the bridge closure has been an “inconvenience” and safety issue for many residents in that area. It also has caused route problems for buses that pick up children in that area.

“That bridge is very important to several of our residents,” Barbetta said. “It’s essential. They only have one way in and one way out.”

The cost to repair the bridge is about 33 percent higher than initially expected, although the county is getting more financial assistance.

Greene County commissioners agreed in mid-July to pay $395,630 to Carmen Paliotta of South Park to repair the bridge. That was about $100,000 more than original engineering estimates, and the sum was about $150,000 more than what the county received from a settlement with the trucking company responsible for the damage.

Marshall said EQT gave $75,000 to the county last month to help bridge the gap between the settlement and construction costs. The county is expected to use Act 13 drilling money for the remaining total unless other revenue sources can be found.

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