Somerset street work continues through spring

SOMERSET — The signs depicting arrows for lane changes and roadwork ahead, along with equipment, trucks and workers will not be gone anytime soon in the borough, at least not until late spring when most everything is scheduled to be wrapped up.

The contractor is continuing mainline construction, service line install and other miscellaneous tasks, throughout the winter and as the weather permits. In April, the contractor will resume final restoration, according to Jessica Sizemore, Somerset municipal authority manager.

The temporary disruption of streets and roads is because of "significant infrastructure upgrades to replace outdated utilities (water, sewage and gas in the borough) and reduce maintenance for the future," she said.

Coordinated effort

Somerset has overseen a coordinated effort to reduce the time and cost of construction for the general public. This included four projects, three of which are still in construction or waiting for spring to finalize the restoration, Sizemore said.

Waterlines replaced

The Waterline Replacement Project involves replacing about 35,500 feet of underground piping and service lines. There are approximately 490 customers that will receive new service lines as well as meters relocated from inside homes to the outside newly installed meter pits, she said.

"To date, there has been over 25,433 LF (linear feet) of mainline installed and 293 services completed," Sizemore said.

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This project also includes improvement to the Water Treatment Facilities and Operations, which is projected to continue through this June.

Gas pipelines installed

Another simultaneous project, the Columbia Gas Pipeline Replacement Project, which includes replacing approximately 14,650 linear feet of underground piping and service lines has been completed, Sizemore said. The final restoration is to begin in the spring.

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The South Center Avenue Sidewalk Replacement Project is a grant-funded project that will update the utilities and provide replacement of sidewalks to the portion of South Center Avenue from Patriotto Main streets. This project is expected to be complete by summer, Sizemore said.

Sidewalks added

Additionally, the borough "is working on securing grant funding to complete the North Center Avenue Sidewalk Replacement Project between Main Street and Union Street," she said. "These projects are in alignment with the West Main Street Improvement project completed in 2019 and aim to preserve the character of Uptown Somerset, making necessary utility upgrades, and improve economic opportunity for the long term," she said.

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To reduce the burden on community visitors and residents, the borough provides free parking in uptown Somerset through February. The two-hour parking is still enforced. A map of all borough parking lots can be found on the community's website, which updates where and when roadwork will be done.

Insight on work

Additionally, there are even more little yellow, blue and pink flags placed along streets and in yards following the pipelines that will soon be dug up and replaced. They flap in the wind, surrounded by snow, and workers continue to roll.

As this reporter continues to look out her window at the soft fall of snowflakes while writing this piece she sees the yellow and pink flags staked in her yard above the accumulating inches of white stuff. She remembers two days ago trucks carrying equipment are parked with workers at a street below. They are coming this way. Oh boy.

Where to go for answers

There is additional information including project scope on this project located on the borough’s website. For updated information check out the borough's website at: www.somersetborough.com and/or its Facebook page at: Borough of Somerset | Somerset PA | Facebook or call the borough at 814-443-2661.

"Somerset Borough thanks everyone for their patience and understanding during this construction," Sizemore said.

This article originally appeared on The Daily American: Somerset road work not done until spring