Bridge dispute headed to court
Township officials who have been unable to reach an agreement about how to share the cost of a bridge project asked that a Washington County judge decide the dispute.
Dennis Makel and Christopher Furman, attorneys for Canton Township, filed a “petition to determine rights and responsibilities” for either repair or replacement of the Airport Road bridge over Georges Run, a tributary of Chartiers Creek.
The road and bridge connect Canton and Chartiers townships, and Canton officials are asking that the court apportion the costs of the project.
In August of last year, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, through its engineers, told Canton that deterioration of the Airport Road bridge was significant.
Chartiers was also notified of the situation.
Harshman Civil Engineers recommended replacement of the bridge at a cost of $228,416. Repair, a smaller project, was pegged at $57,948, according to court documents.
Canton prepared an intermunicipal agreement, which it claims Chartiers rejected because the townships have not been able to agree on the cost.
James P. Liekar, Chartiers Township solicitor, and township Manager Jodi Noble met with Canton supervisors Feb. 18. Liekar noted that no Chartiers residents live on the road. Chartiers is willing to make a contribution of $5,000 to the project, a letter dated March 1 states. The road is about a mile long with about 125 feet in Chartiers, Noble said.
“In Chartiers, we try to amicably resolve things,” Liekar said, adding that he offered to jointly file a petition with the court as allowed by statute in the state’s Second Class Township Code “rather than be so adversarial.”
No court date has been scheduled.
Despite its name, the road, near Route 18 and north of Wolfdale, is miles away from the Washington County Airport in North and South Franklin townships.