WEIRTON - As the deadline for a massive sewer project in the north end of Weirton approaches, city officials are ready to move forward with the next step by obtaining financing for the project.
Weirton Utilities Director Butch Mastrantoni informed the members of the Finance Committee on Thursday that there would be a resolution coming to city council on Monday to approve the financial institution through which a bridge loan will be obtained to commence with the first phase of a sewer project that will stop sanitary flow from 1,000 structures going into the Ohio River.
Mastrantoni said council members approved the project in November of 2011 and this is simply the next phase which will approve a local bank, United Bank, as the financial institution and accurately depicts the hard cost of the first phase of the project which is expected to come in just below $1.5 million.
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Utilities Director Butch Mastrantoni informed the members of the Finance Committee that there would be a resolution coming to city council on Monday to approve the financial institution through which a bridge loan will be obtained to commence with the first phase of a sewer project that will stop sanitary flow from 1,000 structures going into the Ohio River. -- Angelina Dickson
The first phase of the project will circumvent the mill sewer lines and bring the excess overflow back up old Main Street to the 5th Street lift station. The second phase will then bring the excess flow back to the treatment plant through a new five-mile force main which will be established along Main Street.
Mastrantoni said bids are in and although the contract has not been awarded officially, the low bidder is also a local company. He said the sanitary board will be taking action in the coming week at the regular sanitary board meeting on Thursday.
Ward 3 Councilman Fred Marsh asked if the project was moving on schedule or if things were running behind.
"Right now, we are behind on the overall project but the main focus of the consent decree is to stop the flow from going into the Ohio River," Mastrantoni said. "Once the first phase of the project is completed, I believe we will have substantially completed the spirit of the consent decree."
Mastrantoni said there really is no one at fault for the project being behind. He said the process of getting the project approved through the regulators takes time and the city has not faltered momentum on the project either and still has plans to complete the project as close as they can to the December of 2013 deadline.
(Dickson can be contacted at adickson@weirtondailytimes.com)
