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N. Versailles road closed for slide repair
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By Stacy Lee
Published: Tuesday, February 12, 2013, 4:56 a.m.
Updated: Thursday, February 14, 2013
Work to repair a landslide on the edge of Westinghouse Avenue in North Versailles Township continues.
The roadway was closed on Jan. 21 and it is expected to remain so until mid-May.
It is open only to local traffic.
“The project site is in a landslide-prone area,” PennDOT press officer James Struzzi said. “Heavy volumes of rain triggered the slide.
“The repair consists of replacing the failed soils with a rock buttress at the toe of slope and benching in new embankment to the roadway subgrade. The roadway will be reconstructed within the limits of the landslide. Drainage improvements will also be made within the limits of the slide to help prevent future slides.”
Allison Park Contractors Inc. is the main contractor for the work.
Police Chief Vincent DiCenzo Jr. said traffic officers are monitoring the closure and have had no traffic issues with the detour.
“They caught a couple of people going around barricades,” DiCenzo said. “They've cited them.”
PennDOT's suggested detour for motorists traveling from Route 148 is to continue north to Route 30 and turnleft onto the westbound lanes. Turn left at the traffic light onto Route 686, then left onto East Pittsburgh-McKeesport Boulevard, then travel south to Westinghouse Avenue.
The detour is reversed for those traveling from East Pittsburgh-McKeesport Boulevard.
The landslide between Mahoning Street and Route 148 occurred on Dec. 12, 2011. Emergency responders observed it while investigating a call for a downed tree. Westinghouse Avenue was closed for two days and partially reopened on Dec. 14, 2011.
An average of 13,621 vehicles travel Westinghouse Avenue per day, according to PennDOT.
Stacy Lee is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. She can be reached at 412-664-9161, ext. 1970, or slee@tribweb.com.
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