Recently, representatives from PennDOT held an information session to inform Geneva College students, faculty and staff about construction on PA State Route 18, which leads directly to campus from the north and south. The session attracted a number of people from campus who brought up their own questions and concerns.
According to PennDOT inspector and project manager Ken Buckley, the project is substantial. Construction will extend a mile from the Pizza Joe’s intersection across from campus to near Wallace Run Road. Some work on this section of road began last spring, but the bulk of the work will be done over this spring and summer.
PennDOT is planning to have everything completed by December 9 of this year.
Dan Ganoe, the Vice President of Operations for Lindy Paving, Inc., general contractor of the project, offered a detailed look at the steps of construction. The mile-long section of road has three designated phases, and construction will occur on one section at a time.
“In each of the phases there are going to be three distinct areas of work,” said Ganoe. The road will be sectioned into three ten-foot lanes and traffic will be directed in such a way to allow workers to excavate and pave one lane while two are being used for traffic. Vehicles will be moved from side to side as construction progresses until all three lanes are finished. Traffic will not be completely shut down on the road, although some very minor delays may occur.
The job will include digging down 20 to 25 inches to take out any existing pavement so that the road can be completely rebuilt. In addition to a totally new foundation and pavement, the road will get a new curb, paint lines, manholes and a new traffic signal at the Sheetz intersection. Handicapped accessible ramps will be added to the intersection, and portions of sidewalk will be replaced.
The leaders of the project plan to be open and cooperative with the community as construction goes on and will be informing households and businesses when complications arise.
“As we progress down the road there will be situations where we’ll be in front of people’s homes and parking is going to be restricted,” said Ganoe. When this happens, project leaders will work hard so that the inconvenience is over as soon as possible. “As we approach those situations, we’ll make sure to get the notification out so that the community knows what’s happening. We always try to give a couple weeks notice.”
Over the summer, construction will extend into evenings and weekends as necessary. “We do need to get this job done on time, and we have every intention to do that, but it will require some Saturdays, and in all likelihood it will require some night work also,” Ganoe explained. This extra work is intended to speed up the process. “The quicker we go through this, the quicker we get it back together, and the quicker we get out of everybody’s hair.”
Project leaders are aware of major Geneva events like Commencement and Homecoming. “On those big days, we have no plans of being around at all,” said Buckley.
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