Monongahela makes headway on flood recovery

In early 2017 the Federal Highway Administration approved $25 million through the Emergency Relief for Federally Owned Roads Program to repair flood-damaged roads, bridges, culverts, and trails in West Virginia’s Monongahela National Forest. Approximately 1,700 tons of riprap and 11,500 tons of gravel have been placed on 128 miles of flood-damaged roads this year.
 
“The Forest’s construction and maintenance crew re-shaped roads, installed riprap on slide areas, graveled roads, and replaced culverts to ensure public safety and repair damage from the June 2016 flood,” said Forest Supervisor Clyde Thompson. “We have more work planned for 2018 and are interested in accomplishing as much as possible through local contractors.”
 
The Forest Service is the lead agency on 68 flood repair projects, and has finished work on 33 projects. All but five projects are expected to be under construction or have solicitations issued by September 2018, with expected completion by late 2019. Work completed by contractors in 2017 includes:
 
In Nicholas County, debris was removed from the slide on Fork Mountain trail. Riprap was installed for bank stabilization, drainage was improved and trail surface re-established.
Stockpiled flood debris, including broken asphalt, was removed along Williams River Road.
Forest Road 24 off Highway 219 near Slaty Fork had extensive repairs, including culvert replacements, placement of gravel for surfacing, ditch cleaning and road reshaping.
Forest Service Road 461, Purple Rhododendron Road, was improved including minor slope repairs, reshaping of the roadbed and ditches, and placement of gravel for surfacing.
Road repairs for Forest Service Road 83 Jakeman Run included filling and reshaping ditches, bank stabilization and culvert replacements.
Forest Service Road 735 Sawyer Run had filling and reshaping of ditches performed.
 
Marlinton’s Wyatt Nature Trail was significantly damaged during the June 2016 flood. This past summer the trail crew and local Youth Conservation Corps repaired the community-oriented trail by constructing a rock retaining wall and re-graveling a quarter-mile section of the trail in two stages.
 
Repair work on the Highland Scenic Highway and Williams River Road is being coordinated by the Federal Highway Administration, Eastern Federal Lands Highway Division, in Sterling, Virginia. A large slide was recently repaired on the Williams River Road. Additional work is expected to resume in the fall of 2018 on both roads. Updates will be posted at https://www.fs.usda.gov/main/mnf/home.
 
Contact Flood Recovery Manager Angela Parrish at 304-799-4334 extension 16 or atparrish@fs.fed.us for more information.