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Business owners voice frustrations with ongoing Jefferson Avenue project

3 min read
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As crews continue to work on the Jefferson Avenue reconstruction projects, the patience of business owners in the area is wearing thin.

They voiced their concerns at an informal meeting with state Department of Transportation officials and representatives of state Sen. Camera Bartolotta and Rep. Tim O’Neal’s legislative offices Thursday afternoon at Washington City Hall. The meeting was kick-started by business owners who circulated a petition seeking an update on work.

One of those owners was Stephen Stimpson, who owns Stimpson & Wright Republic Notary. He said the road work has taken a bigger toll on his Jefferson Avenue business than the pandemic.

“During COVID, I was closed two-and-a-half months, and last year, because of Jefferson Avenue, I made $21,000 less than I made during COVID. So the impact is there. We have a lot of faithful customers, and that’s the only reason we’re still open,” Stimpson said prior to the meeting.

Stimpson added that he fears the business may not be able to last another year.

The $10.2 million project began in 2020, and was originally slated to wrap up in 2022, but the pandemic delayed utility work and construction is now expected to finish next spring. PennDOT contracted Greensburg-based Plum Contracting for the job.

The work, underway between Tyler Avenue and Route 844, involves updating and adding traffic lights, rebuilding sidewalks and realigning the westbound Interstate 70 off-ramp with East Wylie Avenue.

Business owners expressed that they were under the impression much of the work would take place at night and on the weekends. Scott Faieta, assistant construction engineer for PennDOT District 12, said contractors have a “completion day contract.” Contractors can choose to work night or day shifts, as long as they meet the deadline.

Bill Beaumariage, assistant district executive for construction for PennDOT District 12, added that when the project was delayed until 2023, they explored “accelerating” the contract to meet the original deadline, which would have PennDOT covering the extra costs for Plum for more shifts and overtime.

“A contractor, they like to do that … They get done early and they can bid another job. They’re typically in favor of that,” Beaumariage said. “We offered that to (Plum). They went back, they did all their homework and they came to us, ‘We can’t find the labor to do it.'”

Also at Thursday’s meeting were Carla and Danny Isiminger. They own several buildings along Jefferson that house different businesses, including Pennzoil, Splish Splash Car Wash and Isiminger Towing.

“We own those properties on Jefferson Avenue, and our renters are not happy, and I don’t even know if they’re going to survive,” Carla Isiminger said.

She also said they have given their tenants free rent to provide some relief.

Those in attendance implored Beaumariage and Faieta to try to find a solution to hurry the project along. They ultimately agreed to reconsider accelerating the job, and to try to find a creative solution with Plum. They also said they will encourage the contractor to work nights.

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