Independence Awarded First Prime Contract from PennDOT – Torchlight Intersection

After working as a subcontractor on multiple projects for the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), Independence Excavating is proud to announce its first award as prime contractor on the Torchlight Intersection for PennDOT. The project is located at State Route 40 in Menallen Township, Fayette County, PA approximately five miles northwest of Uniontown. The $7.3 million project involves eliminating a very dangerous intersection and relocating it 800 feet northwest on Route 40. This will be accomplished by constructing two new roads, both totaling 2,200 feet in length, while widening 1,700 feet of Route 40 to provide left-turn lanes at the new intersection. Some major items of work include: 70,000 cubic yards of total earthwork, with deep mine undercuts; 35,000 tons of rock fill; 5,000 feet of new storm sewer—with over 500 feet to be installed by boring methods; and over 135,000 cubic feet of grout to be pumped into existing mine voids—in order to stabilize the existing and proposed roadways. PennDOT is pleased with our performance thus far—especially since we began the project six months early, and are on target—as of this article's publication—to be completed six months early in December of 2015.

Independence has created some positive discussion around the water coolers at PennDOT's District 12 offices in Uniontown, and we plan to continuing building upon this relationship while working—as always—safely and efficiently.