CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The Charleston City Council has overwhelmingly approved funding for studying and designing a possible solution to the slippage of Blaine Boulevard.
The council on Monday voted to set aside $485,000 for the study, in which the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will evaluate the ongoing riverbank and roadway issues related to the North Charleston street. The city had to dedicate enough money to cover 35% of the project’s cost, while the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will dedicate around $900,000, or 65% of the project’s cost.
City officials proposed the vote during a forum last Thursday regarding the road and its problems, including the closure of one lane.
Charleston Mayor Amy Goodwin previously noted officials have known about the riverbank slippage and the related infrastructure damage since February 2019. Blaine Boulevard residents have pushed the city to act in recent months, with Councilmember Pat Jones proposing the use of coronavirus relief funds for construction.
Federal agencies and U.S. Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., have worked with city officials on plans to secure funding for work.
“This is the next, most logical step moving forward,” Goodwin said. “If we are going to receive any federal funding at the end of the day … this spending needs to be done first.”
The city will use American Rescue Plan funding to cover the study’s cost.