Major wall repair project in Edgeworth to be approved in July

Edgeworth officials are moving closer to awarding one of the borough’s biggest repair projects in recent history.

The proposed reinforcement of a failing stone wall that supports Beaver Road between Church and Edgeworth lanes, and related upgrades, is estimated at $1.6 million.

The sidewalk along the aforementioned stretch has been closed for many months due to safety concerns. However, the road itself remains open. The project is expected to be at the July 16 council meeting.

Potential contractors have not yet been announced.

The manager a few months ago said the road was not at risk of collapsing and the project was not an emergency repair.

“There is no change to the status of the area,” borough manager John Schwend said via email May 31. “Engineers are working on the last of the drawings. It’s taken longer than we thought.”

Council had initially planned to put the contract out for bid in February.

Ivan Hofmann, public safety chair and council vice president, said more time was necessary due to the specialized nature of the repairs and the limited numbers of contractors in the tri-state area that can do the work.

Work includes building a soil nail wall to cover and enforce the existing stone wall, a new sidewalk and handrails.

The company will be selected through the state COSTARS cooperative buying program. It is designed to ensure municipalities get the best prices for goods and services.

“(It’s a) very critical process that we need to follow,” Hofmann said via email May 30. “We have been carefully considering options over several years and with the help of the recent grant we have received we are anxious to move forward.”

One of the reasons the borough can move forward with the major construction is due to a $452,000 grant through the state Department of Community & Economic Development’s Local Share Account program.

No matching funds are required for the grant. The remaining project costs will be covered by the borough’s capital improvement budget.

“It is still a high priority, and will be completed this year,” Schwend said. “Using COSTARS lets us seek pricing using a cooperative purchasing system from qualified contractors who specialize in this type of work.”

The borough received cooperation from nearby residents earlier this year to go on to their private property as part of the project.

Construction is expected to take four to six weeks to complete.