Ceiling damage, falling concrete triggers partial closure of Greensburg parking garage

Sections of a parking garage on Greensburg’s North Maple Avenue have been closed until the city can repair damage to a concrete ceiling.

City public works director Tom Bell said he was notified last week that fragments of concrete fell from the ceiling of the garage’s lower level at the Dr. Robert W. Queale Lot, on the block between Otterman and Pittsburgh streets.

No one was injured and no vehicles were damaged, Bell said.

He attributed the problem to salt damage that occurred over the winter, causing spalling of the concrete. Spalling occurs when a concrete surface peels, breaks or chips away.

“There’s no danger of a collapse, but it’s something we need to address,” Bell said of the damage.”We’ll be getting a contractor in to make the repair. It will probably be a 10-day process.”

Until then, parking spaces on the north end of the garage have been cordoned off to prevent any injury or damage to cars.

That means 13 spaces on the lower level and four spaces on the top level are temporarily off limits.

City officials said any displaced motorists that leased spaces in the garage have been relocated to nearby metered spots until the repair is completed.

Because the repair has to be made right away, under an emergency situation, Bell said the city likely will hire a contractor without having to go through a bidding process.

He said he was checking on the availability of Carl Walker Construction, the contractor that is working on the $7 million reconstruction of the underground garage a block away, at the Westmoreland County courthouse.