Jan. 23--After a judicial process that lasted more than a decade, construction finally is imminent on a new connector street meant to replace the now-demolished Ranson Avenue railroad bridge in the northwest corner of Blairsville.

But Blairsville officials are hoping to make one last-minute adjustment to the Center Street extension project, in order to spare two remaining stone bridge abutments for potential use in a pedestrian rail crossing.

Council Tuesday directed Borough Manager Tim Evans and Solicitor Pat Dougherty to investigate the possibility of retaining the former Ranson Avenue bridge abutments, removal of which is included in a project contract of $504,022 recently awarded to Francis J. Palo of Clarion.

Evans indicated he would contact Palo to see when the contractor plans to remove the abutments and if a deal can be worked out to keep them in place.

According to project engineer Joseph Prola, of Gibson-Thomas Engineering, work on the project is not expected to begin on Monday, as originally scheduled. The project, including removal of the abutments and extension of the street, is projected to take about four months.

Dougherty said a deal also likely would have to be struck with the rail line owner, Norfolk Southern, since the abutments are at least partially located on rail property bordering Rt. 217.

Council member Mary Ugoletti said she wants to preserve the abutments until it can be determined if it would be feasible to use them to support a bridge carrying a local hiking and biking trail over the Norfolk Southern tracks. "I just want to leave the door open," she said.

She pointed out local trail advocates have been working for a number of years to make Blairsville a connecting point for two regional biking routes: the Hoodlebug Trail, which extends south from Indiana, and the West Penn Trail, which extends east from Saltsburg.

That goal could be in jeopardy if planners can't find a way to bring a connecting trail from the West Penn trailhead into Blairsville without using busy Rt. 217, Ugoletti said, noting the former Ranson Avenue abutments could provide a solution.

Blairsville is pursuing plans to develop its own trail loop along the Conemaugh River that would link to the other larger trails.

Reviewing the history of the Ranson Avenue project, Prola not the railroad bridge was closed to vehicular traffic in the 1990s when it was deemed structurally unsafe. It was determined that the bridge could not be replaced in its existing location because the steep grade of the approaching ramps would exceed modern traffic standards.