Nick McWilliams reporting – An ongoing project to replace gas lines has hit a small snag in western New Philadelphia, keeping an intersection closed through tomorrow afternoon.

Service Director Ron McAbier updated council on the portion of the project that has kept the crossing at Front Avenue and 10th Street closed.

He says that traffic attempting to go on Front to the western edge of the city to the business area of Bluebell Drive will have to divert until Wednesday.

“They ran into some unforeseen issues there. If anyone has been down there, it is still closed. I was assured [Monday] that it will be open by the end of the business day on Wednesday. So just avoid that area until Wednesday afternoon. After that, as I reported before, it will be one-lane traffic for the duration of that project. But there will be flaggers there.”

All drivers are reminded to avoid the area during the closure, and proceed with caution during restricted access.

In other service-related news, McAbier says that a new fence has gone up around the water distribution plant on Mill Avenue, which used the remaining $22,000 of grant funding that was also used to move a fence on Gradall Industries property.

The fencing is related to the Ohio and Erie Canal Towpath Trail, which is expected to extend from the northern part of the county down through Dover and New Phila soon.

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