CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Work has begun to fix a hillside in Kanawha County that has caused multiple road blockages of Blue Creek Road.
Columbia Gas Transmission LLC informed the Kanawha County Commission earlier this month it will perform work on the hillside adjacent to the Elkview road. Previous rock slides have blocked access for 500 residents who live in the area.
The commission hired S&S Engineer Inc. of Charleston to assess the property and ensure work is properly done. Jessie Parker Jr., the firm’s president, and county officials visited the property this week to understand the scope of work and problems with the hillside.
“It’s a fairly large slip,” he told commissioners. “Less than 100 feet away, they already have one H-pile wall constructed.”
H-piles are high beams placed vertically into the ground. Parker estimated the current wall is less than three years old.
Columbia Gas Transmission has equipment on site, including work trucks and excavators. According to Parker, engineers will be moving dirt to stabilize the hillside to allow for a better assessment of the slope.
Commissioners have stressed the importance of the project given the limited access to homes in the area. Kanawha County Commission President Kent Carper noted half of a lane is currently blocked by a barrier.
“When people are home and sick and need the hospital, you can’t get ambulances in. You can’t get firetrucks in,” he said.
Engineers with Columbia Gas Transmission will be conducting environmental and erosion assessments this week, which involves installing devices to understand the spread of sediment.