Rainfall, snow melt cause major infrastructure damage

As the recent rainfall continues to melt away the snow received in Adams County this winter, the excess moisture has greatly affected many county roads, making them inaccessible and even life threatening. The severe damage led to the Adams County Commissioners declaring an emergency due to weather related issues resulting in flood damage to infrastructure.

The damage reports began on Thursday, Feb. 16, at 6 a.m. in the morning with a startling report of a vehicle being swept away when the road collapsed beneath the passing car. Richard Ledgerwood of Lind narrowly escaped death on his way to work when a portion of Lind-Warden Road suddenly collapsed, causing the vehicle to fall 15 feet into run off below.

Adams County Sheriff Dale Wagner reported Ledgerwood remained calm and acted quickly to escape through a window before the 2000 Chevy Blazer became completely submerged under water and mud.

Using a flashlight, Ledgerwood located the nearby bank to pull himself to safety. The driver flagged down an approaching vehicle and sent for help while he remained on the scene to warn oncoming traffic of the washed out road before law enforcement officers and the fire department arrived on scene.

Adams County Engineer Scott Yaeger said of his 22 years in the area, he has never seen a road failure to the extent of the Lind-Warden Road wash out. The maintenance crews work tirelessly to ensure the roads are safe for drivers by checking the culverts and structures regularly, Yaeger explained.

The regular inspections allow the crew to be able to detect a problem and close the road before an incident occurs, he explained.

Yaeger said they inspected Lind-Warden Road Wednesday prior to the incident and the drainage seemed to be operating smoothly and the structure did not show any signs of being at risk of collapsing. He said the crew suspects the immense amount of rain the county received Wednesday night caused ice and debris to clog the culvert, creating hydraulic pressure.

The pressure build up then forced the water to flow through the base of the roadway as an alternate route.

Yaeger said they have to wait for the water under the roadway to subside before they begin repairs and they expect the construction of a temporary roadway for residents to take about a month.

The road is currently closed for eight miles from Roxboro Road to State Route 21. Yaeger said locals can use the detour route of South Roxboro to Lind-Hatton Road to State Route 21 in the meantime.

The wash out currently only affects one residence and the Lind town supervisor is working with the locals to provide alternate routes for transportation, he explained.

After inspecting the road further, Yaeger provided an update on the estimated damage to the Adams County Board of Commissioners during a meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 21.

Because the culvert had been installed nearly 60 years ago, Yaeger said they will need to replace it during the road repair.

In order to avoid future wash outs, he said the maintenance crew has been breaking up the ice surrounding road culverts to allow the run off from melting snow to flow smoothly.

Yaeger said he does not have an estimated cost for the repair and he will report to the board with a quote at a later time.

During the meeting, he presented the board with footage from the Adams County Sheriff’s Office drone to show the extensive damage the excess moisture caused the Lind-Warden Road, along with multiple other county roads.

Cunningham Road has also been affected by the moisture and is beginning to wash out in various areas, he explained.

The drone footage showcased the existing damage to Cunningham Road, which proved to be dangerous to motorists as the crew decided to close roadway.

Yaeger said the rainfall has impacted multiple other gravel roadways and the crew is working hard to ensure roadways are safe for drivers and residents have alternative routes of transportation despite the road closures.

Once the weather improves, Yaeger said they will begin blading the gravel roads to repair them. There are an estimated 100 road closures in the county.