Belle Vernon officials frustrated over continued closure of Route 906
Route 906 from Belle Vernon to Fayette City has been closed since January due to falling rocks and debris.
Mark Soroka/For the Observer-Reporter
Debris partially blocks a portion of Route 906. The state road, between Belle Vernon and Fayette City, has been closed since January after movement on the hillside caused rocks and dirt to fall onto the road.
Mark Soroka/For the Observer-Reporter
Officials in Belle Vernon are getting impatient with the prolonged closure of a section of Route 906 stretching from Belle Vernon to Fayette City.
The state Department of Transportation closed part of the heavily used state road Jan. 2, after movement on the hillside caused rocks and debris to fall onto the road. It has remained that way since, as PennDOT’s engineers look for a way to resolve the problem.
The nearly yearlong closure isn’t sitting well with several borough council members.
Councilman Frank Monack said the continued closure affects public safety. Since Route 906 has been closed, motorists have been detoured to Route 201 and Interstate 70.
“If there is a fire in Fayette City, our firefighters have to take a detour to get there,” he said. “That adds another five to 10 minutes to their drive, and that can be a real problem when you’re trying to respond to an emergency.”
Council members recently instructed borough solicitor Bobbi Jo Wagner to draft a letter of inquiry to PennDOT.
“We are getting tired of waiting for an answer,” said Councilman Rich Saxberg. “Nothing is being done to fix this problem. Route 906 is a major through-way in and out of Belle Vernon. That road is crucial if we want to bring in more economic development to Belle Vernon. We want PennDOT to tell us why that road is not open.”
Valerie Petersen, who serves as community relations coordinator for PennDOT District 12, said the agency is concerned about the stability of the ground in the area.
“We are reevaluating how to mitigate the entire hillside above and below Route 906 adjacent to the Monongahela River,” she said. “Our department has an active design project for that area. The additional failures of the slope have caused us to reevaluate corrective actions along this stretch of roadway.”
Saxberg said PennDOT is planning to meet with borough officials in February to discuss the road closure.
“PennDOT said they will meet with us but only if the meeting is private,” he said. “That’s not acceptable. The public should be allowed to hear what is going on. The bottom line is that road has to be reopened as soon as possible.”