Construction Suspended By Wet Soil

Construction work on the new Pettisville School building is delayed by wet soil conditions, said Steve Switzer, Pettisville Local School District superintendent.

Crews are waiting either for the soil to dry, or a hard freeze.

There’s still work to do on the current contract, which involves site preparation. Site preparation is preparing the ground for construction by installing underground utilities and grading the soil to proper elevations.

Switzer said while much has been accomplished, there is much to do.

•Additional soil must be removed from the area that will become the pond on the south side of Co. Rd. D. The pond will serve as a study area for students. Also, large coils will be submerged deep in the pond for the new building’s heating and cooling system.

•A new sanitary sewer line must be installed.

•Two areas need to be brought up to proper grade levels. Switzer said half of a parking area on the south side of the road needs to be filled with stone to establish the proper grade.

Once the site preparation work is completed, work will be finished for the remainder of the winter, he said.

Among the work that has been completed, much of a former drainage ditch on the southwest corner of the school property has been filled with an underground culvert.

At the same time, the Fulton County Engineer Office replaced an underground culvert under Co. Rd. D. Switzer said county officials worked with the school project contractors to coordinate the construction of the culvert.

“That was very helpful,” he said.