SALAMANCA — Be cautious when driving over Titus Run Creek on Front Avenue in the city — the culvert carrying the creek under the road is beginning to crumble, meaning the pavement is not far behind.
At its Nov. 9 Public Works Commission meeting, the Common Council accepted a $31,500 proposal from HUNT Engineers to provide services in the survey and design of a new culvert.
Rob Carpenter, Department of Public Works superintendent, told the council HUNT’s work would allow the city to move forward on the project, which would be a separate project to approve, likely in the spring.
“It’s one of these things that we can’t put off,” he said. “It would become a serious public safety issue.”
The existing Front Avenue culvert is a 44-foot-long corrugated steel pipe with an 8-foot maximum width and concrete headwalls at the inlet and outlet of the structure.
HUNT’s proposal dated Nov. 1 describes the structure as “rusting on the bottom side, which has led to section loss and backfill material leakage into the stream, causing a noticeable sag in the road directly over the culvert.”
Because the culvert is old enough to surpass its useful life and warrants replacement, HUNT recommends a new steel HDPE pipe or precast concrete box culvert.
“What I thought had happened is what the engineers thought as well,” Carpenter told the council.
Mayor Sandra Magiera wondered how much the replacement project itself would cost. Carpenter said HUNT did not provide an initial estimate.
Council members Paul Myers and Barry Smith questioned if the culvert was safe enough to pass over today, such as for work trucks and buses.
“Right now, we’re OK. It’s just a bump,” Carpenter said. “But if we allow it to keep going, it’s going to get where we’re going to have to shut it down. It depends on how much it sinks, and I can’t give you a time frame.”
Council member Janet Koch suggested the city look into using its state Consolidated Local Street and Highway Improvement Program (CHIPS) funding for the reconstruction. Magiera and Carpenter said they might be able to.
“We have well over $1 million, I believe,” he said.
“Hopefully it won’t be $1 million to fix Front Avenue,” the mayor replied.
