Oil City Council heard more about the upcoming closure of Veterans Bridge as well as plans for street paving in the city this year at their meeting Thursday.
City Manager Mark Schroyer said he was contacted this week by the Veterans Bridge contractors who wanted to close down the bridge and begin work earlier than the targeted June start day.
Schroyer told the contractors the bridge couldn’t be closed down until after school is out for the summer.
The bridge itself will likely be closed from June to September.
Councilman Dale Massie noted that the surface of the White Bridge, which will be seeing more traffic over the summer while Veterans Bridge is closed, is deteriorating and will be “a bumpy ride.”
Chris Gorman, the Oil City public works director, said he has already talked to “higher ups” at PennDOT about the condition of the White Bridge, which is owned by the state.
Gorman also noted that the surface on the one lane on the Petroleum Street Bridge is also deteriorating.
In other business at Thursday’s meeting, council gave permission to bid out the street paving projects the city has planned for this year.
The paving will be paid for through liquid fuels and Community Development Block Grant funding.
The streets slated for paving are:
East Sixth Street (from Central to Englewood Avenue), Euclid Avenue (from East Eighth Street to Hiland Avenue), Smedley Street (from West Third Street to West Fourth Alley), West Fourth Street (from Central Avenue to Division Street), Front Street (from Wyllis Street to Petroleum Street), and Lincoln and Reed streets (both from Wyllis Street to Petroleum Street).
Council also voted to award the contract for the Justus Park stormwater management engineering and design to Lennon, Smith, Souleret Engineering Inc. of Coraopolis, also known as LSSE.
City community development director Kelly Ryen said LSSE was the best suited bidder to design the stormwater management needs of Justus Park, in addition to also being the low bidder.
She added that the timeline for the project, which will be done while Veterans Bridge is closed, is very “aggressive” due to deadlines for spending the grants that are funding the project.
The stormwater project is being paid for through a grant from PNC Charitable Trust and a grant through the Northwest Commission from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and the Department of Environmental Protection.
In other news, due to Veterans Bridge being closed this summer, Schroyer said the Oil City Arts Council is looking for alternate locations for the Jolly July 3rd festivities and fireworks.
Council approved a request from the Arts Council for its annual Jolly July 3rd Jaunt, a dog friendly 5K, along the bike trail beginning at the Oil City Marina.
The proceeds will be donated to Precious Paws and the Venango County Humane Society.
Four candidates for the junior council member program will be interviewed following the next council meeting on March 28 at 4:30 p.m. in council chambers.
And Kate Miller of the Arts Council told council about the professional photography show now open in the Graffiti Gallery on Seneca Street.
The gallery will be open for a St. Patrick’s Day party from 6 to 8 p.m. Sunday, Miller added.
