Weston Place road condition questioned at West Mahanoy
KAYLEE LINDENMUTH / SHENANDOAH SENTINEL - Radio Station Road in Weston Place on Tuesday, August 18, 2020.
SHENANDOAH HEIGHTS – The condition of a roadway in one West Mahanoy Township village was brought into question at Tuesday’s meeting of the board of supervisors.
Several residents in the area of Radio Station Road in Weston Place came to the township meeting to raise concerns regarding the deteriorating condition of the road.
Bob Matta asked township supervisors about the status of the road and potential repairs, referencing the ongoing transmission line reconstruction project atop Locust Mountain.
“It’s in rough shape, it’s in bad shape,” Matta told the board. “If we could find an answer and at least figure out a roadmap [to repairs] for that road.”
Solicitor Jim Amato responded, mentioning that the road is not considered a township road and that the township does not receive liquid fuels funding for its maintenance. According to the most recent PennDOT map for the township, the roadway is designated T-888, a township road.
Amato mentioned that, over the last six months, construction traffic, from Michels and RHL Contracting, had made use of the road to access the transmission line.
“We have had discussions with RHL and Michels regarding repairing the roads for any and all damage that was caused by their construction work,” Amato said, noting that Michels, along with township officials and engineers, visited the site recently.
Michels has completed their work at the site, Amato said, and pre-construction and post-construction videotapes have been prepared to document the roadway and verify any damages caused by their work.
RHL had not prepared a pre-construction videotape, despite such a requirement in PP&L’s contract, Amato said, and the township “is not allowing them to complete their work until they execute an agreement that they will repair any and all issues with the road that may have occurred or may occur in the future for the work that they perform.”
A contract is being drafted between the two parties, Amato said.
Matta said that, though the township may not get liquid fuels money for the road, “we are taxpayers. We also are provided with certain services by the township.”
“There are some heavy duty trucks going through there. Not only tri-axles, but big drill-bits or drills,” Matta said.
Amato said the township had been provided with a list of equipment that had passed along the road, none of which had exceeded the 10-ton weight limit of the road.
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