A letter sent to the Sharon City Council this week might throw a monkey wrench into a proposed meeting next week to discuss the status of the Oakland Avenue Viaduct project.

The eight-page letter from D. Matthew Jameson III, an attorney at a Pittsburgh law firm representing project contractor Carmen Paliotta Contracting Inc., contends the lengthy delay in completing in the span is largely Mercer County's fault.

Invitations to the meeting to be held at Thursday's city council session were sent to county commissioners -- who had originally indicated they would attend -- and state and federal legislators.

It was uncertain Friday night if any invited officials had responded. It might not matter now.

While Jameson's letter indicates that officials from Paliotta Contracting would be more than happy to attend the meeting to address council's concerns, "CPCI has a contractual relationship with Mercer County and we are reluctant to attend the meeting and discuss the project without an indication from the county that it does not object to our attendance."

Anticipating, however, that county officials might object, Jameson and Paliotta submitted what they said was a "complete and accurate history" of the project. Jameson also sent copies of the letter to the Mercer County Bridge Department and The Herald.

Jameson emphasized the contractor's account was "important and necessary because the county's representatives have consistently provided the city of Sharon, council and the Sharon Herald newspaper with inaccuracies and half-truths about CPCI's performance" on the project.

No company officials had contacted The Herald previously to dispute stories about the bridge.

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