Surprises during the construction process are rarely positive. But a welcome surprise in Delmont helped borough officials save more than $75,000 on their annual roads program.

“We anticipated a lot of base repair on (West Pittsburgh Street), but the concrete was actually in excellent condition,” borough engineer Kevin Brett told council at its November meeting. “It was an odd construction that we hadn’t seen before. It was one big pour where there aren’t any joints like you’d normally see. That’s why the cracks were pretty random.”

This year’s paving program included West Pittsburgh Street, Stotler Drive and Cupp Way.

“There were no soft spots in the paving,” Brett said. “We had a tremendous amount, about $50,000, planned for base repair and we were able to save a lot there.”

All told, the road program for 2019 cost $216,670, about $76,000 less than the initial budgeted amount.

“We were also able to complete some line striping that didn’t get done last year,” Brett said. “We ended up under budget and the streets committee was pleased with how the roads look.”

The paving program is funded using liquid fuels money from the state, which is earmarked for local road and construction projects.

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