Hillside project at Bethel Park High School nearing completion
Work to stabilize a hillside near Bethel Park High School should be finished by this month, but not before a few last minute expenses bring the project’s total cost to about $650,000.
The school board will consider extending the geotechnical engineer’s contract again at its regular meeting Oct. 24. Garvin Board Beitko Engineering of Robinson Township will be paid up to $30,000 extra to supervise work on the project that has been plagued with delays.
The engineering firm will also probably examine the nearby softball field to ensure that area is stable. The field is about 70 feet away from the hillside, which started slipping two years ago, and Leonard Corazzi, director of operations, thinks the field is unaffected, but the board is expected to hire the engineer to ensure it is safe.
Contractors started repairing the hillside last October, but weather forced them to postpone work until the spring. Weather again caused major problems, including a rainstorm that washed out an access road. The project was originally supposed to take two months, but work has extended through the summer and workers should wrap up the project next week.
The hill started slipping because it was made up of unsuitable fill, according to the project engineer. Contractors who built Bethel Park High School used soft soil, tree stumps and construction debris to form the hill about seven years ago. School officials are exploring legal options to try to recoup some of the money spent on the hillside’s reconstruction.
To repair the slip, workers removed the unsuitable fill, installed a drainage base and added layers of large stone and rock that should be more stable and allow water to drain more easily.
The initial cost for the repair was about $500,000, but the delays and other problems pushed the price tag closer to $650,000.