Rain Making Construction Difficult For PennDOT

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - In addition to a massive rockslide in Washington County, there has been a lot of mudslides recently because of the wet weather.

According to PennDOT, all the rain is preventing road crews from working on spring projects.

"It can have an impact if you schedule the work and start the work, and then the rain comes down, and you can't finish so you bring all the equipment out and the workers out, then you have to send everyone home," PennDOT Spokesman Jim Struzzi said.

Through the region, paving and construction projects are facing delay after delay, no thanks to this record rain this year.

"Now it is having an impact on some of the paving projects. The [Interstate] 79 work near Neville Island and it has delayed the work for a few weekends when we had to cancel, and the Marshall Avenue ramp from [Route] 65 to 19, that's been delayed because we've been unable to pour the deck," Struzzi said.

In Baldwin, the rain turned one project into a major undertaking.

This whole mess started a few months ago when Pennsylvania American Water shut down Glass Run Road to put down a new pipeline, which they did.

Once crews finished up the work and laid down some new blacktop, the hillside gave way. For drivers already dealing with detours, throw the Carson Street closure into the mess and you're dealing with some really big headaches.

"We're going to go in with PA American Water and begin repairs to put that wall back in. Unfortunately, that means Glass Run Road is going to remain closed for another two-to-three weeks," Struzzi said.

As frustrating as it can be for PennDOT, time is on their side.

"You account for some bad weather. It's been raining almost every day in May and in April, and it's a concern, but at this point it's not an extreme concern because we have a lot of the construction season left," Struzzi said.

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