Road Closing On Friday

[catapault]

Our narrow road, cliffs on portions on one side, creek all the way on the other side, and a little less than 3 miles long. Portions belong to 3 different townships. Our portion is paved, the rest is not. For years the asphalt has been collapsing on the creek side, undercut, washing out. There are Jersey barriers on the damaged portion, making the road even narrower at that point.

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We all got a letter on Monday informing us that it has been decided that the road is very hazardous, it will cost millions to repair, so on Friday the road will be closed indefinitely at that point, to vehicles, pedestrians and bicyclists.

We don't go to town on that end, preferring the long way around to remain on pavement. But this is going to be a mess for many reasons. Why didn't they do something years ago? No idea.

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[doomsdave]

Ouch!

Maybe part of the price of living in a lovely semi-wild area? Looks like a beautiful forest.

There may be legal remedies that can be pursued; what state is this? New Jersey?

 

[susanm9006]

It looks very beautiful, and very dangerous. I can see where shoring it up would be expensive.

 

[catapault]

My understanding is that since it is not the result of a specific storm there's no federal assistance available. It will be state money - if any can be coaxed from the state of New Jersey coffers. Further assumption is that concern over liability issues explains the closure for pedestrians and bicyclists.

I'm no engineer but - they are going to have to work from down in the creek. That means DEP permissions. And how will they get very large equipment into the creek. Shore bank up how, probably with gabions?

Meanwhile heavy rains will continue to erode soil / undercut pavement.

I don't expect any action in the foreseeable near future.

Two pictures of roadside flowers take the same day as the collapsing road images: Rubus odoratus, purple flowering raspberry, and Rhododendron maximum, rosebay rhododendron. Both wild growing native plants.

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[MoochNNoodles]

At least they didn’t wait until someone got hurt? But yikes what an inconvenience! Do you think they might just get rid of the road altogether?

 

[catapault]

And do what with all the people who live on the road, MoochNNoodles , if they get rid of the road. Apparently the plan is to barricade off a portion where the road collapse is the worst, and create a turn-around at either side of the closure for drivers who become taken by surprise.

Road is very popular with bicyclists, dog walkers, pedestrians. Every August there was a day when the participants would come by, on their three day walking pilgrimage to Our Lady of Czestochowa in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. Priests, nuns, parents, teenagers, children, babies in strollers. No idea where they will detour. They notified the township in February when they would pass on local roads in August. They have been advised that this road is no longer available.

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[MoochNNoodles]

And do what with all the people who live on the road, MoochNNoodles MoochNNoodles , if they get rid of the road. Apparently the plan is to barricade off a portion where the road collapse is the worst, and create a turn-around at either side of the closure for drivers who become taken by surprise.

Make it a permanent dead end? I’ve seen some things like that. Its a shame because those people are paying taxes too. Especially in states like NJ. DH and I have talked about what happens if they decide to widen our street because its a country road with a fair amount of traffic and 2 schools up the road. That meand we get decent plowing if we get snow; but we’d hate to have the road come closer to our house. We did have someone go off the road and hit the neighbors tree once. I just don’t think we have enough rights when it comes to these things.

 

[catapault]

As friends across the Delaware River in Pennsylvania reminded me:

"Oh my!!! Sounds like something that would happen around here - like our many old bridges that are neglected until they are beyond reasonable repair. Like the Geigel Hill Rd bridge that was closed for 9 or more years and now our Headquarters Rd. bridge which is 10 yrs ++ being closed and still no set date for repair or replacement."

and

"Typical government cluster-f. We've had a bridge out in Tinicum for over 10 years as the Twp and Penndot and environmentalists fight over how to fix it."