Monsour Medical Center Demolition Concerns Close Part Of Route 30
JEANNETTE (KDKA) - Demolition crews were back at work at the Monsour Medical Center in Jeanette Wednesday, tearing down the main tower of the building.
"When are you ever in a position to see this happen live? Very rare," said Tim Hartman, who works near the center.
When crews felt that the building wasn't safe for nearby traffic on Route 30 to pass by Wednesday morning, the highway was shut down for a few hours. State police requested the closure.
"It was a decision made on site to be a little bit precautious while the structure was being worked on in its current state," said demolition project manager Jason Rigone, with the Westmoreland County Industrial Development Corporation.
"It wasn't an inconvenience for me," said Sharon Dietrich of Greensburg, "but even as it may, anybody who felt it was an inconvenience, I'm sorry, but hey, this is something that had to be done."
Dietrich made a special trip to see the building.
"This is part of our community, and I just think it's so sad that when the Monsours had to file bankruptcy that no one stepped in, either the state or someone else, to take care of this facility," she added.
Route 30 was eventually reopened and crews continued their work.
The building is coming down piece-by-piece. Rigone said the focus of the project is safety, not time.
"The contract runs through the end of March. However, that being said, there is no necessary hurry to get it finished. Again, safety comes first," said Rigone.
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