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Emergency repair needed for Verona sink hole | TribLIVE.com
Penn Hills Progress

Emergency repair needed for Verona sink hole

Michael DiVittorio
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Michael DiVittorio | Tribune-Review
Severe July storms created a sink hole at the intersection of Second Avenue and Church Street in Verona.

Verona officials have to dig deep to make emergency repairs at an intersection.

A sink hole 10-feet deep and 20-feet wide opened up at Second Avenue and Church Street.

Borough engineer Matthew Pitsch said storms on July 18 caused a manhole to open and stormwater washed away a portion of the roadway.

The area got worse after the July 21 storms, which also hit nearby Penn Hills and Oakmont pretty hard.

Pitsch said repairs may include installing a liner in the downstream section of the pipe.

“We know, right at the manhole, we have to do a dig repair because we suspect maybe 10 feet from the manhole is where all the material is washing causing the sink hole,” he said.

Another part of the line closer to Cribbs Field is about 60% collapsed and is in need of a dig repair.

The total estimated cost is between $125,000 and $150,000. Actual repair work has yet to be determined.

Pitsch said he’s been in preliminary talks with contractors to do the emergency repairs. It may take two weeks to a month before any of them would be able to start.

“I’ll try every option we have, but the lining material takes a certain amount of time to get,” he said. “They may be able to mobilize a little sooner to actually start the digging. Until we have the camera information, we really don’t know the extent of what the total project will be.”

The borough installed barriers around the manholes after the first storm and put up a fence after the hole formed.

Borough Manager Jerry Kenna said a motorist nearly plunged his vehicle into the hole late the night of July 29 despite the borough’s best efforts to block off the intersection.

“With the size of the hole, we’ve taken steps to fence it off and put emergency blockades up to keep people from getting hurt,” Kenna said. “We also have a fear that, with another strong rain event, the hole could end up getting larger.”

The car struck a barrier, the fence and one of its front wheels went over the edge. The driver fled the scene. The incident is under investigation.

The sink hole is not the only storm-related problem that has developed in Verona.

A 360-foot-long section of a 30-inch pipe along Seldon Avenue deteriorated and likely contributed to flooding of CXL and Conco Systems warehouses.

Pitsch said he’s seeking quotes for trenchless and excavating repairs for that project, which is estimated to cost between $89,000 and $120,000.

Kenna said officials are treating both projects as emergency repairs and should be able to pay for everything without borrowing money.

“We had budgeted about $100,000 to do a paving project on Second Avenue this year,” he said. “That’s going to be postponed till next year. Fortunately, we haven’t started that project yet. Over the past few years, we’ve been very conservative with our budget. We do have money in a capital reserve fund to cover the repairs.“

Council unanimously authorized the engineer to seek bids and award contracts to the lowest bidders for both projects.

Michael DiVittorio is a TribLive reporter covering general news in Western Pennsylvania, with a penchant for festivals and food. He can be reached at mdivittorio@triblive.com.

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Categories: Local | Penn Hills Progress | Valley News Dispatch
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