Yet again, work to complete the Oakland Avenue Viaduct in Sharon has been delayed.

The contractor, Carmen Paliotta Construction of South Park, Pa., submitted plans to repair the viaduct but parts of the plan needed clarification, Mercer County bridge engineer Mark Miller said Thursday.

The plans were sent back to the contractor for additional information and an updated work schedule, he said. The resubmitted plan has to be approved by county and PennDOT engineers.

Sharon city officials were told on Feb. 21 that work was anticipated to start in March and be completed in June. That timeline is no longer accurate, Miller said.

"Work won't start until we receive a response (from the contractor)," Miller said.

The pedestals that hold the steel beams that support the bridge are out of alignment by up to 3 inches in some places, which caused the bridge to have an S shape.

Sharon officials were told in February that the contractor would add shims to some of the pedestals to correct the problem.

Contractors are being assessed $650 a day because the work is not finished. The assessment started at the end of February when the extension on the contract expired, Miller said.

The daily assessment will continue until all the work has been completed and approved, Miller said. The total amount of the fine will be deducted from what the state and county owe the contractor at the end of the project, Miller said.

The $3.6 million project is 80 percent funded by state money and 20 percent by county money.

Work on the viaduct was supposed to be completed in November 2001.