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Concrete Mistake Blamed On Contractors

LEHMAN TOWNSHIP — The deadline is quickly approaching for many summer road construction projects all over our area, but instead of wrapping up a project i...

LEHMAN TOWNSHIP -- The deadline is quickly approaching for many summer road construction projects all over our area, but instead of wrapping up a project in Luzerne County's back mountain, contractors are starting over again.

A viewer tipped us off about this problem along Route 118 near Dallas.

PennDOT says a contractor hired to widen the road poured a new concrete shoulder that, in spots, is four inches higher than the asphalt on the road.

Orange barrels and green vests are a common summertime sight along roads in Pennsylvania, but instead of pouring new concrete, contractors were busy tearing it up along the shoulder of Route 118 between the Dallas area and Sweet Valley.

"It was up too high, about four inches in some places. It was up higher than it should have been," said PennDOT spokesperson James May.

May says a contracting company from southwestern Pennsylvania made the mistake during the $1 million road widening project. That company called in contractors from Wyoming County to rip out the new concrete.

Once that's finished, it's expected that the original contractor will come back and pour new concrete.

"It's terrible. It's going on too long already."

Drivers who use this stretch of Route 118 tell us that they were pretty frustrated when they found out that a contractor's mistake means this construction project will take months longer than expected.

Bruce Strohl of Dallas Township says he's fed up with the hold-ups.

"I don't know, it's hard to believe. How much longer is this going to take?"

The delay means there could also be traffic trouble in September when the fair starts at the nearby Luzerne County Fairgrounds.

PennDOT says the mistake and utility tie ups underground means this project, which started several months ago, may not be done until October.

"They will be replacing it at their cost. There's no additional cost to the taxpayer. It was something that we caught as we were doing the inspection," said May.

We've tried calling the contractor in Bedford County blamed for the mistake but we have not heard back.

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