Indiana Township paving project to begin soon

Paving will soon be underway in Indiana Township.

Supervisors recently awarded this year’s road repair project to Bakerstown-based Shields Asphalt Paving.

They were the lowest of six bidders seeking to repave 12 streets in the township’s Indianola neighborhood.

Public works crews were doing asphalt prep work along multiple roads this month in preparation for the contractor.

Prep work includes cleaning out storm inlets other minor repairs.

Paving is expected to being in early August and take about two weeks, weather permitting.

“They have done paving for us before and we have had no issues,” township manager Dan Anderson of Shields.

Streets on the list include:

• Bruno Drive

• Duncan Way

• Puritan Avenue

• Peace Way

• Victory Way

• Crest Drive

• Republic Avenue

• Summit Drive

• Park Drive

• Fox Hunt Road

• Hartwood Trail

• Old Orchard Trail.

An area between the public works building and the salt shed will be paved to help crews access salt more efficiently.

Roads are evaluated annually by township engineer Dan Slagle and public works superintendent Larry Smith.

“It’s a perpetual paving program that’s updated annually in three-year increments,” Slagle said.

They also try to select various roads in a cluster to minimize costs.

“One of the largest expenses in any comprehensive project like this is mobilization from one site to another,” Slagle said. “What we’re trying to do is minimize mobilization and remobilization of large asphalt paving equipment. That’s our goal. By doing that, you probably save the township 10% of the project costs.”

Some of the roads on this year’s list are shorter than the length of a football field.

The township budgeted about $500,000 for paving this year. The contract award was about $626,175.

Slagle said there are different pockets of money to pull from to cover the balance, including reimbursements from People’s Gas for project milling and overlaying of selected roads throughout the township where the utility company recently had gas line replacement projects.

Other pockets of money also include the savings from other infrastructure projects coming in under budget.

The township budgeted about $150,000 for tar and chipping and about $80,000 for guardrails.

Lower Cedar Run, Eisley and Marshall Hill roads are among the roads to be tarred and chipped.

Supervisors awarded the tar and chip project to Russell Standard at about $109,000 and the guardrail project to Green Acres Contracting at $65,200.

Both were the lowest of two bidders in their respective projects. Those projects are expected to take a few days to complete.

“Based on prudent financial planning, the township will be able to construct almost $1 million in infrastructure improvements this year — keeping in mind that just 10 years ago our total paving budget was just $80,000,” Slagle said.

Supervisors awarded last year’s paving program to Tresco Paving. Nine streets were repaved, according to township documents.