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Work on new Peters Township High School continues on a limited basis

By Harry Funk staff Writer hfunk@thealmanac.Net 3 min read
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Following a temporary shutdown caused by orders related to COVID-19, construction on the new Peters Township High School is picking up gradual momentum.

About 60 workers are back on the job this week, compared with 180 prior to the stoppage, according to information presented during an April 20 school board meeting conducting through a videoconferencing platform and made available online the following day.

Providing an update was Roshelle Fennell of Reynolds Construction LLC, the construction management firm for the project.

“We are continuing to work, not at the pace we had hoped at this point,” she said. “There are still a lot of questions and concerns out there with some of the workers about coming back.”

She said some contractors have discussed plans to return at the conclusion of Gov. Tom Wolf’s stay-at-home order, which he has extended through May 8, and concerns have been expressed about proper social distancing and use of personal protective equipment among workers.

“We do have pretty much almost a full crew now of electricians back,” she told the school board. “They are working two shifts so that they can split them up and spread them out amongst the building and get our separation.”

Work also is proceeding on facets such as masonry, roofing, road construction, and heating, ventilation and air-conditioning.

“We are still talking with the plumbing contractor and the casework contractor about remobilizing them,” Fennell said.

“We’re trying to give contractors pretty much like a whole floor to themselves, so we can kind of stop the cross-activities with different contractors.”

Wolf’s March 19 shutdown of construction projects in the state caused a delay of more than two weeks. On the final day of the month, the governor acknowledged by letter that work on the high school qualifies as essential and could proceed under Department of Education guidelines, including:

“School districts and contractors must ensure continuance of and compliance with social distancing and other mitigation measures to protect employees and the public, including virtual and telework operations (e.g., work from home) as the primary option when available, as have been or will be established by the Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In-person work is only to be performed on the most limited basis possible.”

Plans had called for the high school construction to wrap up in the fall, and for students and staff members to move from the existing building to the new complex at the start of 2021.

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