Mike Shaw, public works director for Washington City, said Tuesday afternoon that Telegraph Street is now closed between Washington Parkway and Highland Parkway because of additional movement by the slide. Washington City, Utah | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News
WASHINGTON CITY — Commuters who regularly use Telegraph Street will be stopped and turned around after Washington City was forced to close a section of the roadway due to movement in the hill slide that has already caused traffic delays and headaches.
Mike Shaw, public works director for Washington City, said Tuesday afternoon that Telegraph is now closed between Washington Parkway and Highland Parkway because of additional movement by the slide. The hillside moved at least six inches within the past 24 hours, he added.
A contractor is working to shore up the bottom of the hill affected by the slide and will continue the work 24/7 until the hillside is stabilized.
While Shaw said he did not know when that section of Telegraph Street would reopen, he was hopeful that traffic could resume on the corridor road within the next day or so. Shaw said the road would not reopen until he is satisfied it is safe to do so.
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Mike Shaw, public works director for Washington City, said Tuesday afternoon that Telegraph Street is now closed between Washington Parkway and Highland Parkway because of additional movement by the slide. Washington City, Utah | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News
Mike Shaw, public works director for Washington City, said Tuesday afternoon that Telegraph Street is now closed between Washington Parkway and Highland Parkway because of additional movement by the slide. Washington City, Utah | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News
Mike Shaw, public works director for Washington City, said Tuesday afternoon that Telegraph Street is now closed between Washington Parkway and Highland Parkway because of additional movement by the slide. Washington City, Utah | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News
Mike Shaw, public works director for Washington City, said Tuesday afternoon that Telegraph Street is now closed between Washington Parkway and Highland Parkway because of additional movement by the slide. Washington City, Utah | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News
Mike Shaw, public works director for Washington City, said Tuesday afternoon that Telegraph Street is now closed between Washington Parkway and Highland Parkway because of additional movement by the slide. Washington City, Utah | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News
Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2016, all rights reserved.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mori Kessler serves as a Senior Reporter for St. George News, having previously contributed as a writer and Interim Editor in 2011-12, and an assistant editor from 2012 to mid-2014. He began writing news as a freelancer in 2009 for Today in Dixie, and joined the writing staff of St. George News in mid-2010. He enjoys photography and won an award for photojournalism from the Society of Professional Journalists for a 2018 photo of a bee inspector removing ferals bees from a Washington City home. He is also a shameless nerd and has a bad sense of direction.
A week ago Mike Shaw said the hillside was not going to move. In all your reporting I have yet to hear about the utilities in roadway, sewer, water, irrigation. I wonder if any of them are leaking
There are no leaks from a water line in the slide zone. It has been capped off, as has a natural gas line. However, Shaw did mention a sewer line that runs through the area that sometimes uncopples from rest of the line and is constantly monitored and reattached. There was little concern of that causing issues as the contents are not under high-pressure as water lines are. Other infrastructure will have to be relaid under the roadway once the slide is considered stablized by the buttress and the city can tear up the street in preparation for repairs.
Thanks to Mori for staying on this subject for us. Perhaps a little more digging, in an investigative reporting mode, would confirm that Mike Shaw is out of his technical depth……….
This problem has dragged on for at least the two years I have been here, and we are finally “digging” into the details to figure out what the underlying problem is.
At some point the taxpayers in Washington City have to ask if they have the right guy in the Public Works job. It doesn’t take a P.E. license in Civil Engineering to see the soil is compromised……..
Let It Slide, Then French drain to alleviate Future movement. drill pylons into bedrock and Suspend the Roadway.
Apply for Emergency Gov Grant.
Then Get Over It.
Ground Water is Higher than They Think in That area, I found it at 5Ft.Digging a Test hole.
If you need help reply to this Post.
A week ago Mike Shaw said the hillside was not going to move. In all your reporting I have yet to hear about the utilities in roadway, sewer, water, irrigation. I wonder if any of them are leaking
There is a follow up to the story here – http://www.stgeorgeutah.com/news/archive/2016/09/28/mgk-hillside-drops-as-work-on-sinking-telegraph-street-begins/
There are no leaks from a water line in the slide zone. It has been capped off, as has a natural gas line. However, Shaw did mention a sewer line that runs through the area that sometimes uncopples from rest of the line and is constantly monitored and reattached. There was little concern of that causing issues as the contents are not under high-pressure as water lines are. Other infrastructure will have to be relaid under the roadway once the slide is considered stablized by the buttress and the city can tear up the street in preparation for repairs.
Thanks to Mori for staying on this subject for us. Perhaps a little more digging, in an investigative reporting mode, would confirm that Mike Shaw is out of his technical depth……….
This problem has dragged on for at least the two years I have been here, and we are finally “digging” into the details to figure out what the underlying problem is.
At some point the taxpayers in Washington City have to ask if they have the right guy in the Public Works job. It doesn’t take a P.E. license in Civil Engineering to see the soil is compromised……..
Leave Mike alone, Its easy for you two armchair Engineers to Criticize. Change The channel!
Let It Slide, Then French drain to alleviate Future movement. drill pylons into bedrock and Suspend the Roadway.
Apply for Emergency Gov Grant.
Then Get Over It.
Ground Water is Higher than They Think in That area, I found it at 5Ft.Digging a Test hole.
If you need help reply to this Post.
Maybe a bridge over the bad section would be best.
Relocate Washington city. problem solved