PennDOT Schedules Work On Pipes Under 2 Local Roads

April 26, 2011 5:55 PM

(Photo Credit: AP)

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PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – A Monday morning water main break in the West End isn’t the only underground problem for PennDOT.

Problems with pipes underground are affecting two local roads and will even force the total shutdown of one of them.

“There’s a drainage pipe under the road that continues to fail and we’ve gotten to the point where we need to go in there, excavate the road, find out what the problem is, and fix it,” PennDOT Press Officer Jim Struzzi said.

It means East Carson Street will close both ways between Becks Run Road and the Glenwood Bridge. The detour will be Second Avenue through Hazelwood.

“We keep going out with our crews and either patching or putting in temporary fixes. It’s come to the point where we want to address the problem,” Struzzi said.

It’s a $75,000 project, although who owns the pipe is still up for discussion.

“It’s connected to a railroad facility, so this has been an ongoing investigation of who would be responsible, but it’s to the point where we have to address the problem. Because if you travel East Carson, you know it continues to cause problems. We had plates in the area to cover up the spots left by the leaking drainage,” Struzzi said.

This isn’t the only problem related to sinkholes.

You may have seen fencing along Banksville Road. PennDOT put it up a year ago to contain a sinkhole in progress.

“No additional deteriorating has occurred, so it isn’t a pressing concern. It doesn’t threaten Banksville because we do have the concrete abutment walls to protect the road, but it is a problem that will have to be addressed eventually,” Struzzi said.

Work on East Carson Street will run from May 15-23.