Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, March 30, 1993 TAG: 9303300317
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
There's a good reason.
The J.P. Fishburn Parkway, the main access to the zoo and the Mill Mountain Star, was closed Saturday because heavy rainfall has eroded the shoulder of the road and created a safety hazard.
Construction crews began work Monday on fixing the road's drainage system, which failed during the recent snowstorm and rain.
The parkway between Sylvan Road and the Mill Mountain Spur won't reopen until Thursday at the earliest, city officials said.
"We are treating it as an emergency, but we've got to make sure that it is safe before we reopen it to traffic," said Charles Huffine, city engineer.
The repairs won't be finished Thursday, Huffine said, but the crews hope to have one lane open to traffic by then.
The mudslide did not erode the pavement, but that is a danger, he said. "Water saturated the fill area and we want to prevent any more erosion."
The construction crews were diverting water around the eroded shoulder so it will dry out, he said.
Huffine said he didn't have a precise estimate of the repair cost, but he expects it to be between $50,000 and $100,000.
Meanwhile, zoo officials were trying to make the best of the situation and hoping that people will use an alternative route.
"There weren't many people around here yesterday and today," said Beth Hartsel, an amimal keeper.
Motorists from Roanoke still can reach the zoo by going south on U.S. 220 to the Blue Ridge Parkway and then traveling south to the Mill Mountain Spur, which leads to the zoo and star.
Prospect Road, the old route up the mountain, was closed last year because an overhead bridge is unsafe.
Hartsel said many people apparently did not want to drive several miles out of the way after learning that the Fishburn Parkway was closed.
Hartsel said a group of school children made it to the zoo on Monday because the bus driver was alerted to take the alternative route.
Memo: ***CORRECTION***