Sharpsville moves forward with waterline replacement project

Feb. 20—SHARPSVILLE — With a contractor in place, a major waterline improvement project is set to move forward later this year in Sharpsville.

Sharpsville Borough Council unanimously awarded the project contract to Rudzik Excavating, of Struthers, Ohio, for $7,578,209.53, to include an alternate bid with copper services, according to the meeting agenda.

Although he did not know the exact time frame for the project, Sharpsville Borough Manager Ken Robertson said he expects the project will be underway sometime this year and take a couple construction seasons to complete.

The project will involve repairing waterlines along South Walnut Street, Main Street and Seventh Street; West Ridge Avenue from Seventh Street to 15th Street; Seventh Street from Charles Street to Quarry Way; North Walnut Street from north of Shenango Street to High Street; West Main Street from Seventh Street to 15th Street; Line Street from South Walnut Street to Union Avenue; Davis Drive from Mercer Avenue to South Walnut Street; Pierce Avenue from Walnut Street to Seventh Street; Leona Street from Wakefield Drive to just north of Hazen Road; Quarry Way from Fourth Street to Seventh Street; and Shenango Street and Hickory Street, from North Walnut Street to East High Street, according to borough information.

This would involve a total of about 20,447 feet, or four miles, of waterlines. Robertson had previously said this will include areas that have sprung leaks repeatedly over the years.

Sharpsville buys its water in bulk from Aqua Pennsylvania while maintaining its own water distribution system.

Funding for the waterline improvement project will come from two sources — a $5,994,141 grant and a $3,805,859 loan from the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority, or PENNVEST, which were awarded last October.

The loan will be paid off at a 1% interest rate over 20 years.

The waterline improvement precedes a planned project by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation to pave Walnut Street, Main Street, Seventh Street and Ridge Avenue in 2024.

Robertson said he expects the waterline project will be completed before PennDOT's project begins. Or, if necessary, borough officials can arrange to do Route 518 — which includes Main Street and Walnut Street — first, to avoid "digging up a new road," Robertson said.

"PennDOT has been very cooperative and good to work with, so we shouldn't have an issue there," Robertson said.

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