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Fixing Patton culvert will have hefty price

PATTON — There are “no easy answers” and a hefty price tag to replace a culvert that runs under railroad tracks, an engineer told Borough Council on Tuesday evening.

David Cunningham of Keller Engineers said replacing the culvert that sits under railroad tracks near Mellon Avenue would cost $300,000 to start.

“To correct the problem that’s out there, I think that’s what’s going to be necessary,” Cunningham said.

The proposed project includes replacing “undersized” lines — which can easily be clogged with debris — underneath Cowher Avenue’s lower end, which Cunningham said goes across to Mellon Avenue and into two blocks of Linwood Avenue.

“There aren’t any easy solutions, but what we can do is prepare kind of a narrative and a scope of this project and just start pitching it (to local legislators),” he said. “I don’t want to get your hopes up that this is going to pay for itself.”

Councilman David Pompa asked Cunningham to prepare a package of information that council members would then give to Cambria County commissioners and state Rep. Frank Burns, D-Johnstown. Cunningham said he would attend any meeting council members have with local legislators.

Councilman Joe Kline said the borough would likely have to raise taxes to produce the project’s funding, but no action was taken.

Cunningham said at least some funding is available through 10-year state infrastructure bank loans.

Borough resident Lynn Karlheim said she’s tired of cleaning debris out of her flooded backyard because of a broken pipeline.

“This is getting ridiculous. I’m getting tired of cleaning. All the water just keeps on going and it’s a mess,” she said.

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