West Pike Street in Houston to reopen next week
HOUSTON – West Pike Street is not expected to reopen until early next week after construction crews rebuilding the bridge over Charters Creek ran into “unforeseen” problems involving drainage and sewer lines while working over the weekend.
The road through the borough was supposed to reopen this Wednesday as part of the contractor’s 30-day construction plan, but the additional drainage work and anticipated rainfall over the next few days is expected to push the completion date back to next Monday or Tuesday, according to the state Department of Transportation.
Scott Faieta, assistant construction engineer for PennDOT District 12, said officials are still confident the bridge will be passable to traffic before Chartiers-Houston and Canon-McMillan school districts begin their classes Aug. 26. PennDOT had announced before the project began July 19 the road would reopen Aug. 12, but that date was adjusted about a week before being delayed once again, Faieta said.
“It looks like we’ll have it open before the schools start,” Faieta said. “You run into unforeseen things. It happens in our business.”
While the bridge itself is nearly completed, other portions still need to be finished before vehicles can travel over the span. Asphalt paving on the approaches to the bridge could be delayed if the area continues to receive rainfall, as is predicted this week.
While the road will likely reopen early next week, Faieta said there still could be single-lane closures at times with flaggers directing traffic while crews finish working on others parts of the bridge. The $3 million project was originally scheduled to be finished by Sept. 3, but that may be pushed back with the other delays.
The contractor faced daily financial penalties if the bridge did not reopen within 30 days, but Faieta said PennDOT will waive those fees because of the weather issues and additional problems with the drainage system.
“These contractors are under the gun,” Faieta said. “They make a lot of effort to get it done.”
Houston Council President Larry Scears said borough officials are satisfied with PennDOT’s schedule and the contractor’s work, although they’ll be happy when West Pike Street is once again open to traffic.
“Of course it’s been a headache, but I think people understand it had to be done,” Scears said. “That bridge was about to fall down and with COVID, it delayed (the original construction date in 2020). It won’t be too much longer. They’re making pretty good progress.”
The closure has meant motorists must use a lengthy detour that takes traffic onto Interstate 79 between the Houston and Racetrack Road exits. Scears said there were phone calls from residents complaining about the closure after the project began last month, but they’ve come to accept the temporary inconvenience.
“It is what it is at this point,” Scears said. “I think they’re doing great.”