After a seemingly endless wait, repairs of the unevenly paved roads and intersections surrounding the Camden Court Square finally have begun. Signs redirecting traffic went up Monday, Oct. 18, and by Tuesday, the presence of heavy equipment was evident to everyone.
Barsto Construction, managed by Shane Bartholomew and headquartered in Huntingdon, is heading up the work. They have been providing water and sewer line construction and repairs since 1995. The business has worked with the City of Camden in the past with good results, according to Camden Mayor Roger Pafford.
The contractor had been approved to complete these repairs for some time, but the job was delayed from an initial June 21 start date due to parts being unavailable. Once parts needed to complete the job were in stock, Barsto intended to begin the project on Sept. 27, but ran into additional problems, delaying the start date to Oct. 18.
Although it may appear that the problem is with the pavement, the difficulties around the Court Square actually originate with poor drainage. Past attempts to repair the roadway there have failed because the underlying drainage problem was not fixed. Barsto plans to correct the drainage problem first, then move forward with repairs to the pavement.
More information about the progress of the project and an expected completion date will be provided as the project progresses. According to Kevin Johnson, the supervisor of Camden’s Street Department, the contractor expects to complete the project within a short span of time, projected at less than a week.
