For several years, Penn Hills officials have kept a close watch as Old William Penn Highway along the Parkway East has slowly slipped away from underneath, creating a small dip in the road and a warning of a serious problem in the future.
Now, with an $800,000 grant secured by U.S. Rep. Chris Deluzio, D-Aspinwall, the municipality expects to shore up the highway beginning early next year before it faces an extensive closure. Crews have been doing test boring and other tests in recent weeks as they begin designing how to fix the highway.
“This money really came at the right time,” Scott Andrejchak, municipal manager, said Friday. “This is crucial infrastructure. If we had to close that road down, it would be a nightmare.”
In Penn Hills, the highway runs just below the Parkway East from Rodi Road to the Garden City neighborhood in Monroeville. It provides primary access to the busy Sri Venkateswara Temple.
“It was a potential disaster waiting to happen,” Mayor Pauline Calabrese said. “Now, it is being averted. I’m not sure where we would have gotten the money to pay for this.”
As a result of the grant, Andrejchak said the municipality will “move as fast as we can” to design a solution that can be implemented beginning early next year. He described the problem as “the underpinning of the road wearing away.”
Although designers aren’t sure yet what type of work will be needed, Andrejchak said he expects the grant will cover the full cost of the project. That’s good news for Penn Hills, he said.
“That’s almost a million dollars we have available for other projects,” he said.
The Old William Penn Highway project is one of 15 Deluzio obtained across the district this year worth about $15.5 million.
Ed covers transportation at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, but he's currently on strike. Email him at eblazina@unionprogress.com.