Street patching progressing, paving hits hold up, council says

SHENANDOAH – Borough officials say they’re making progress repairing some west end streets, but ambitious plans to repave about ten streets has hit a snag.

Borough Manager Mike Cadau provided an update at Monday’s council meeting on what he dubs “Operation Pothole.”

He said crews have milled West Lloyd Street after patching portions of West Washington Street and West Coal Street.

“Washington Street is looking a lot better, Coal Street is looking a lot better,” Cadau said. “Lloyd, we’re going to continue and keep going.”

He said “people are pretty happy” about Washington and Coal Street.

“Our objective is to continue moving forward and side streets will not be neglected,” he said.

While those streets are being patched, others are set to be paved, but council said there’s a hold up.

Councilman Joe Gawrylik said the street paving projects, approved in the Spring, have been sitting in limbo.

Council previously approved paving the following streets:

• East Lloyd from Bower to Emerick;
• South Bower from Oak to Emerick;
• East Oak from White to Lehigh;
• West Poplar Street from Main to West;
• West Oak Street from Gilbert to Chestnut;
• North Jardin Street from Washington to Coal;
• West Coal Street from Chestnut to Gilbert;
• West Coal Street from Catherine to Vine;
• North Gilbert Street from Centre to Lloyd;
• South Highland Street from Oak to Cherry;
• Furnace Street from the Gold Star Highway to the fire hydrant;

Gawrylik said he’d been told that the project is sitting on the county commissioner’s desk because part of it is funded by the Community Development Block Grant program.

“I don’t know who’s carrying the football here but somebody’s got to get moving,” Gawrylik said.

As of now, street paving may not begin until September or October.

“It’s not our fault,” he said. “The town can’t point the finger at us, we’re trying our best to get these streets done.”

Council President Joe Boris said he’d “been waiting” for the streets to be put out for bid.

In other street related business, Gawrylik suggested formalizing a handshake agreement between the borough and Mahanoy Township regarding the maintenance of portions of Yatesville Road and Furnace Street.

Both are located along awkward municipal boundaries, in which they both lead to a village wholly in one municipality with the initial portion of the road lying in the other municipality.

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