Work on Oil City’s multi-faceted East End project is underway near the city’s landmark fountain and in the area of the intersection of Wilson Avenue and East Second Street.
Patrick Matthews, the job supervisor with S.E.T Inc. of Lowellville, Ohio, said Thursday his crews were digging up sewer lines by the fountain that were 16 feet deep.
The entire East Second project, which is expected to encompass all of this year’s construction season, involves replacing the road, sidewalks, and water and sewer lines, as well as installing curb ramps that are compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act at every intersection along the street, from Wilson Avenue to Route 62, the area known as Buzzard’s Bend.
Schroyer said at last week’s Oil City Council meeting that due to all the “dust and garbage” from the nearby construction, he recommended the cover be kept on the East End fountain this year.
“We are trying to get away from the computerized system and back to an old hydraulic system where you just turn it on,” Schroyer said at the meeting.
PennDOT offered to turn the road over to the city along with $2.5 million for the reconstruction of the road and curbs, and the city accepted the offer in 2021. The city will now be responsible for repair and maintenance.
While reconstructing the road, the city plans to use funds from bonds the city issued in 2021 to replace the water and sewer lines.
