Quicker action need to repair landslide that closed Meridian Road
What’s the holdup on repairing damage from the landslide that shut down a portion of Meridian Road in Penn Township in early May?
Heavy rains caused an 8-foot bank to collapse on the side of the road near the Renfrew neighborhood, leading to the closure of a section of the southbound lane.
At that time, a spokesman for state Department of Transportation's District 10 said the agency’s geotechnical team has been notified of the slide and would examine the situation in the next few weeks. He said a PennDOT team would take core samples to determine the condition of the soil beneath the road, then determine a course of action for repairs.
That was in May.
On Monday, a PennDOT spokeswoman said fixing the landslide will require additional surveys of the area, which is above the railroad tracks near the bottom of the hill leading to Renfrew.
The closure is affecting businesses in the area.
Deb Krelow, owner of the Hotel Beacon near the closure, said the inability of her customers to get to the bar and restaurant from Meridian Road has affected her business more than the coronavirus pandemic.
“My food orders last week were down by 50%,” she said Monday.
We understand additional surveys may need to completed before repairs can be made to make the road safe for travel again, but we can’t understand why it’s taking so long.
— JGG
