City wants to build asphalt plant, pave more roads
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After about a decade of purchasing asphalt from a vendor, the Pittsburgh public works department wants to make its own asphalt again with the hope of saving money and adding muscle to the city's street-paving program.
Public works director Rob Kaczorowski said construction of a new plant is an important part of his plan to begin paving 75 to 100 single-lane miles annually, double or triple the numbers from recent years.
The need is great, he said, noting that 80 single-lane miles of primary roads alone -- including stretches of Brighton Road on the North Side, Frankstown Avenue in Homewood, Brownsville Road in Carrick and Chartiers Avenue in Sheraden -- are in dire need of paving.
"We have a lot of catching up to do, and this is the way to do it," Mr. Kaczorowski said.
The plan would involve building a $4 million asphalt plant with funds taken from this year's $11.4 million paving budget. "My goal is to have something in place by September," Mr. Kaczorowski said.
He also wants to increase the amount of paving done by department employees and reduce spending on contractors. Currently, only a small amount of paving and pothole patching is done in-house. He plans to hire John Tortorete, a former city public works supervisor, as a consultant on the project.
Mr. Kaczorowski's boss, city operations director Duane Ashley, supports the plan but said it's too soon to say whether it can be brought to fruition. He said an asphalt plant could require a state permit and he didn't know long it might take to get one. Mr. Ashley also said a site for a plant hasn't been identified.
"There are significant steps that need to be taken," and the city doesn't want to "unfairly raise or heighten expectations," he said.
City Councilman Bruce Kraus, the public works chairman, said he doesn't know many details of Mr. Kaczorowski's plan but he supports the concept.
Mr. Kaczorowski said the city's old asphalt plant in Highland Park was closed about a decade ago and then dismantled amid questions about efficiency. Now, Mr. Kaczorowski and others see inefficiencies in relying on contractors for product and resurfacing work.
First Published February 8, 2012 12:00 am
