Key player missing from road meeting

BY STACI WILSON

The condition of state roads in the county brought elected officials, agencies and organizations to the table for a meeting Friday, May 30.

But one key player in the discussion was missing.

PennDOT.

It was noted that invited representatives from the state agency had scheduling conflicts on the meeting date and were unable to attend.

Commissioner Alan Hall said, “The first problem is that this meeting was not important enough for PennDOT to come to. It’s been on the books for over a month.”

The meeting, hosted by the Susquehanna County Farm Bureau, brought together County Commissioners Hall and MaryAnn Warren, along with Tom Yonisky of Sen. Lisa Baker’s office, Debra Valunas of Rep. Sandra Major’s office, several township supervisors, and representatives from Northern Tier Regional Planning & Development Commission.

The attendees noted a long list of problems happening on state roadways in the county – including new work that is not holding up; drainage problems not being addressed; and a lack of communication from PennDOT.

Hall said he was traveling on SR 167 from Hop Bottom to Bridgewater Twp. when he came to a construction zone that shut down the road.

“They didn’t notify the county – not 911, not EMA (emergency management) – and there were no postings. That’s a safety issue,” Hall said.

Valunas said a large number of complaints have also come into Rep. Major’s office.

Jessup Twp. Supervisor Dennis Bunnell said, “We can’t get them to talk to us, somehow we need to get to Harrisburg.”

After listening to a long list of concerns and complaints, Yoniski boiled the issues down into areas the local representatives could begin to address and suggested a bullet-point list be drafted highlighting some of the main concerns.

“We will follow up for you,” Yoniski said. “If we need to set up a meeting (with PennDOT), we’ll set up a meeting.”

“What I don’t like about what I’m hearing is the quality,” Yoniski said. “Doing it to do it is not acceptable” as he referenced a bridge replacement project that was completed last year. Hall reported that chunks of concrete were falling off of the new bridge.

The group also discussed the need to address the actual work specifications.

Hall said, “Everyone follows the specs – you can’t say its poor workmanship when it’s the specs. The specs they put out are what’s driving this.”

“It will cost more money to do it right,” Hall said, “but it will last longer.”

“If we’re going to do it, we should do it right,” Yoniski agreed.