Superstorm Sandy Slowed Virginia Road Landslide Repairs in Ross Township

Superstorm Sandy put repairs to the Virginia Road landslide in Ross township on hold last week.

Mike Funk, Ross Township Director of Public Works, told the Ross board of Commissioners Wednesday night that work has resumed, about a half of the dirt from the landslide has been removed. He said the storm, and the relocation of a Verizon utility pole, has delayed the project.

"There's nobody during that week that worked. Everything shut down," said Funk. "My attention was focused on potential flooding, which luckily we escaped. We got four inches of rain in 4-5 days, you can't blame the contractor for not being able to work."

Funk predicts the project will be completed by Thanksgiving.

Joseph Vaccarello Jr. Inc. of Carnegie was hired in October for the $208,000 project.

Heavy rains on the night of July 27 triggered the landslide, which sent tons of dirt and trees into the back of Andy Bencsic's home at 137 Glen Lane.

For five days after the landslide, excavators removed the dirt and trees from against the rear of the home. The tons of mud destroyed the home's family room, which had been converted from a screened-in porch.

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