Shoppers at Pittsburgh Mills didn’t seem to mind the maze of detours at the Frazer mall on Monday.
They were too busy celebrating the milling and paving of the pothole-riddled Village Center Drive, which runs in front of Lowe’s, Ross and Aldi. The road had become notorious for massive craters that have claimed several tires.
“It’s been a nightmare up here for years,” said Eric Karey, of Sharpsburg. “I hope they do them all.”
Crews from Lindy Paving milled Village Center Drive with plans to pave on Tuesday, weather permitting. Work will follow mid-week onto Galleria Drive, which sits off the right of Pittsburgh Mills Boulevard, the site’s main entrance, according to township Zoning Officer Bill Payne.
The work comes at the same time mall owner, Namdar Realty Group, is appealing $11.2 million in fines handed down in August by District Judge Michael Girardi in Harmar.
Namdar was found guilty of 364 code violations for lack of attention to mall maintenance, including cratered roads, overgrown weeds and building violations.
The summary appeal hearing is scheduled for 8:15 a.m. Tuesday, Payne said.
Namdar officials did not immediately return TribLive requests for comment on Monday.
Payne said four new citations were filed on Thursday for the illuminated sign along Route 28 where several of the graphics are burned out.
Namdar budgeted $500,000 for paving, Payne said. The outbound lane of Village Center will remain closed Tuesday. The inbound lane, in front of Lowe’s, is scheduled to close Wednesday and Thursday.
“Village Center was the worst area,” Payne said. “They’re doing from the stop light (at Starbucks) to where Walmart previously paved (near Applebee’s.)
Drivers are being detoured behind the plaza that includes Michaels and Aldi. Sam’s and Walmart can be accessed that way. Both lanes of Galleria Drive are expected to close Nov. 21.
News of the paving on social media brought several celebratory comments and some with a sense of humor.
“It’s a sign of the coming Apocalypse,” one Facebook user wrote.
“We should have a tailgate party up there when it’s finally done,” said another person.
Namdar previously patched several potholes on Pittsburgh Mills Boulevard and Village Center Drive, but Payne said the only long-term solution is to repave the roads. Additional work will have to wait for better weather in spring, he said.
“We’re going to push for them to pave the rest of the mall roads next year,” he said.
