Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, June 7, 1994 TAG: 9406070070
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-3 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: By PAUL DELLINGER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: PULASKI LENGTH: Medium
The road has been closed since the Feb. 13 ice storm from the town's sewer pump station to Virginia 99 because the cliff face above it was left unstable.
It serves more than 100 town residents and businesses in the Cool Springs neighborhood, and had been used by an estimated 1,300 vehicles each day.
The disaster assistance approved so far by FEMA would remove debris from the highway, but town officials do not think that would make it safe. They have asked FEMA to approve $700,000 as a hazard mitigation project to build a new access from Dora Highway to Virginia 99.
``Constructing a new road appears to be less expensive than a complete remediation plan and also eliminates any future instances of dangerous slides,'' Town Manager Tom Combiths told Boucher in a letter this month.
Another difference involves the cost of removing debris. FEMA is considering removal of debris physically located on the right-of-way at its standard debris-removal rate, which the town calculates to be $9,980. Because the town lacks the necessary equipment to remove such large debris, it would have to seek a contractor and has received one quote of $185,000 for the job.
``We believe that this neither covers the estimated cost of debris removal nor corrects the safety problem,'' Combiths said. ``Since FEMA will not consider a hazard mitigation project, we believe the estimated allowable cost of $9,980 is very low and will not address the safety concerns we have about the loose rock and trees that are located on the cliff face.''
He asked Boucher's help on two issues.
``The town does not understand why FEMA will only remove debris located on the right-of-way when doing so would not address the safety concerns of this unique situation,'' he said. ``If FEMA cannot provide the level of assistance to address the safety concerns, please inform the town of any other programs that could provide financial assistance for this project.''
Chester Watts, a geology professor for the Institute of Engineering Geosciences at Radford University, has estimated that a complete remediation plan for Dora Highway would cost nearly $1 million.
``The fallen rock and trees could be removed from the highway, and loose rock could be removed from rock faces for less than $100,000,'' he said after inspecting the road March 5. ``However, the unstable nature of the rock cut would remain and rocks would, without a doubt, continue to fall. ...''
He said complete remediation probably would include excavation of rock along the entire cut to provide an adequate shoulder and catchment area for falling rock plus a rockfall barrier at the base, and excavation of rock along portions to lay the slope back a safe angle.
``Although this was a preliminary estimate, we believe his analysis shows the complexity of this work,'' Combiths said.
Town Council may discuss the Dora Highway situation at its meeting at 4 p.m. today.
by CNB