Mar 2, 2007 By Steve Ferris 2 min read

The state Department of Transportation district that includes Fayette and Greene counties awarded construction and maintenance contracts totaling $172 million last year and many projects are set to get under way this year. PennDOT District 12 Executive Joseph J. Szczur reviewed last year’s road and bridge projects and outlined the plans for this year at one of District 12’s annual community outreach meetings Thursday at Penn State Fayette, the Eberly Campus.

A morning session was held in Greene County and two meetings are scheduled for Thursday in Washington and Westmoreland counties, the remaining two counties in District 12.

Szczur said the $172 million in projects in 2006 was the third most in the state and only the district’s covering Pittsburgh and Philadelphia had more.

This year, five road and bridge projects will begin or resume from where the ended last year, said Brian Hart, assistant construction manager.

He began with the $4.9 million Route 119, Uniontown bypass, patching project that started in August.

Concrete patching work was done last year in the area north of Uniontown and crews are already preparing to start on the section south of Uniontown, Hart said.

The road will be paved after the patching is finished and the project is to be competed in July, he said.

Route 4003, the road to the State Correctional Institution at Fayette in Luzerne Township, will be widened, repaved and get new guardrails and signs. Storm water drainage will be improved and a stream and water lines will be relocated.

Hart said the $2.98 million project would start in April and end in November. The road eventually will connect to the Mon-Fayette Expressway.

Other projects include:

? The Route 381 bridge in Mill Run will be reconstructed at an estimated cost of $1.2 million. A contract will be awarded this month. Work will begin in June and end in November. Hart said one lane will be open during construction. The deck of the bridge over Route 119 at the Connellsville Street exit in North Union Township will be repaired at a cost of $725,000. Work will begin in April and end in October.

? An abandoned railroad bridge over Route 3007 in Georges Township will be removed in May. Hart said a contract for the project has not yet been awarded, but estimated that it will cost $200,000. The work will be done on three consecutive Saturdays so it does not interfere with school buses.