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Updated 11 hours ago
Renovations at Greensburg's Robert A. Bell Parking Garage are nearly complete, but the final steps are on hold as workers wait out winter.
“We're probably 80 percent done,” said Robert Charley, the city's parking facilities manager. “This is very minor, what we have to come back and do.”
Workers replaced concrete decks atop the five-story garage, installed a waterproof membrane on the roof and repaired crumbling concrete on the upper three floors.
The two openings to the garage on West Otterman Street have been reorganized. Each previously was used as both an entrance and an exit. Now, each serves one role — one entrance and one exit — which has smoothed traffic flow since the structure reopened to the public last month, city Administrator Sue Trout said.
“People are getting in and out quicker, which was our goal,” she said.
Workers had hoped to finish all concrete repairs by the end of 2016, then install the waterproof membrane in the spring. Mild temperatures this winter allowed them to install it early. But the cold finally arrived and kept crews from repairing the concrete on the lower two floors, Charley said.
Concrete is often colder than the surrounding temperature, which makes repairs difficult when it is near-freezing outside, he said.
“It might be warmer outside, but the temperature of the concrete is about 10 to 20 degrees colder than the normal temperature outside,” he said.
The plan is to finish the work in March — depending on the weather, Charley said.
“If March continues to be like this early February, then it will be pushed off another month,” he said.
From the time work started in October until mid-January, the garage was closed except for about 200 leaseholders because of a lack of spaces. It is open to the public again, although 100 of 400 spaces remain out of commission until spring, Charley said.
When work resumes, the garage may again close to non-leaseholders for a few weeks but could remain fully operational if workers can keep enough spaces open to accommodate everyone, Charley said. That decision will be made closer to the start date.
The $681,888 project is being funded with part of a $3 million loan the city took out last year.
Jacob Tierney is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at 724-836-6646 or jtierney@tribweb.com.
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