PennDOT halts Forest Hills sewer project after drivers raise safety concerns
A sewer project on Ardmore Boulevard in Forest Hills was halted after safety concerns were raised. Some of it was caught on social media, and some drivers say they felt unsafe.
Drivers were not hitting speed bumps; it was a heavy-duty metal crossing laid across the road to pump sewage above ground around the work zone. A TikTok video captured the dangerous situation.
This sewer project on eastbound Route 30-Ardmore Boulevard started Monday night at Marion Avenue to Yost Boulevard. The project stopped Wednesday morning after PennDOT got involved because of safety concerns.
"That wasn't no speed bump. That was a hill. That is what that was," North Versailles resident Reggie Murphy said. "It was terrible, so I'm glad they are moving it."
The incident caused large traffic backups.
The issue was with a sewer bypass road crossing. When crews repair underground sewer mains, they have to temporarily pump sewage above ground around the work zone.
To keep the street open to vehicles, they lay a heavy-duty metal crossing across the road. But in this case, it acted more like a ramp, tossing unaware drivers into the air.
"Coming into work yesterday, it was like a speed bump I've never hit in my life," Plum resident Melanie Wieszczynski said. "It was treacherous. Dangerous. Nothing I have ever seen in my life."
A PennDOT spokesperson told KDKA-TV they learned about the conditions Wednesday morning and closed the road.
PennDOT noted that it did not authorize the temporary setup as part of ongoing sewer work. However, they worked quickly with the municipality to address and reopen the road.
Forest Hills' borough manager admitted complaints were coming in and there were signage issues.
"We recognized there was an issue early on, worked with the contractor to try to ease that using more of a hump, like a grade with asphalt. However, it was not done properly to PennDOT's standards," borough manager Krista Watt said.
Asked if there was an additional signage problem, Watt said, "There was signage but not enough signage. And at night, there should have been more or a digital message."
"To our knowledge, the contractor felt they had the authorization; however, there was not a sufficient plan in place to protect drivers on Route 30," Watt added.
A PennDOT spokesperson told KDKA-TV that they will schedule a meeting with the municipality to discuss the work and the potential future restrictions along Route 30.
If you have damage to your vehicle, you are advised to report it to the municipality.
