SOMERSET — Restoration, the final process in road and sidewalk work, "is a beautiful word," according to Somerset Manager Michele Enos.
Restoration projects, some complete, can be seen now in a map provided by the borough.
The road experience
Over the past year, it has not been unusual for drivers in the borough to miscalculate. Assuming the construction workers and their large pieces of equipment and numerous signs had moved to another area of town, drivers have decided not to travel a roundabout and often longer way to miss the activity.
The result: Sitting in traffic on what used to be the shortest and fastest way to those drivers' various destinations. The time: Not just for what had been the usual few minutes to cover their routine distance, but up to 20 or even 40 minutes sitting in lines of traffic.
When will it end?
Four projects were started in 2023. Three projects are still in construction all scheduled to be completed at various times by early September, according to Jessica Sizemore, Somerset's municipal authority manager.
The state routes, which include East Patriot Street, East Main Street and South Center Avenue, are scheduled for milling July 18 and 19. The overlay will be July 22 through July 24, weather depending, she said.
According to Enos, paving on some streets will begin this Monday.
The Municipal Authority of the Borough of Somerset (MABS) and Somerset Council are continuing significant infrastructure upgrades to replace outdated utilities and reduce costs for the future. These projects are ongoing throughout the borough and will ultimately result in water, sewer stormwater and infrastructure upgrades in the community, Enos said.
To maximize the work done to make these necessary improvements, the borough has overseen acoordinated effort to reduce the time and cost of construction for the public. This coordinated effort includes Columbia Gas’ line replacement projects and PennDOT paving projects, Enos said.
According to Sizemore, they are as follows:
Church Street culvert rehabilitation project
The $20 million waterline replacement project with a scope that includes replacing approximately 35,500 feet of underground piping and service lines began last March. There are approximately 490 customers who received new lines. The meters were relocated from inside their home to the outside newly installed meter pits. This project also included improvements to the water treatment facilities and operations.
The funding for this project is a combination of grants and low-interest loans through PennVEST. In the project areas of mainline and service line installation, temporary restoration was placed as soon as the mainline and the service lines were in service. The temporary restoration was removed and restored, returning the area to its preconstruction condition. This project was finished over the past few weeks.
Center Avenue streetscape project:
Work on utilities and sidewalks is planned for completion by the end of July. A few waterline tie-ins will be completed in the first week of August. Paving will be completed this paving season.
Gasline replacement project:
Restoration continues throughout the project areas. Concrete restoration is expected to be wrapped up by the end of July. Mill and overlay of the project area streets are to be completed by the end of August or early September.
"There are a lot of moving parts and schedules are weather-dependent," said Sizemore.
"As always, we appreciate the residents’ patience throughout these past couple of years during these much-needed infrastructure improvement projects," she said.
Where to find the weekly schedule
The contractors' weekly schedule is listed on the Somerset Borough website and on the Borough of Somerset Facebook page. Another way is to call the borough at 814-443-2661.
At the conclusion of this project, customers who have received outside meter pits will be contacted to schedule an appointment so a borough employee can activate the outside meter and remove the meters inside the buildings.
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