Road slides could cost North Huntingdon $1 million

Hillsides, caused by heavy rains, have collapsed some North Huntingdon roads and repair costs could be close to $1 million this year, township officials said.

A slide that carried a section of Haywood Road down a hill overlooking Route 993 in late February and early March, could cost about $661,000 to repair, based on estimates from township engineers, township Manager Jeff Silka told commissioners last week.

The section of Haywood Road, just west of Trafford, has slide in two sections, compounding the problem. The slide has reduced the roadway to one lane in those areas.

The first landslide was about 100 feet long and a second one, about 500 feet from the first, has grown, Robert Robinson, a consulting engineer with KLH Engineers, told commissioners this summer. The stability of the slope was “marginal,” with open fissures, he said.

A third slide along Haywood Road, above Route 993, closed a portion of Route 993 for several hours June 11. That slide occurred after heavy storms and flooding June 10.

Bids to complete the project could be opened in October, Silka said.

The North Huntingdon commissioners Wednesday gave Silka the authority to pursue funding through the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Bank to pay for repairing the two slides on r Haywood Road. The state infrastructure bank offers municipalities 10-year loans at no interest rate. North Huntingdon could use money from its annual state liquid fuels fund to make the yearly payments, or take it from the general fund, Silka said.

The township also has slides along Frog and Liberty roads that will require extensive repairs, said Richard Albert, public works director.

It could cost between $200,000 and $300,000 to repair those two roads.

Along Pine Hollow Road and Mt. View Drive, soil had to be hauled awary where the slides covered the roadways, Albert said.

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Joe Napsha is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Joe at 724-836-5252 or jnapsha@tribweb.com.