City settles on costly solution to Telegraph sink and slide

WASHINGTON CITY – A gradual slide is believed to be the culprit behind the sinking of a portion of Telegraph Street on the hillside heading toward the Coral Canyon subdivision in Washington City. With the likely cause determined after months of surveys and monitoring, city officials say they are now close to resolving the problem – a remedy that will cost millions.

Earlier this year it was reported that a part of Telegraph Street between Washington Parkway and Highland Parkway had begun to noticeably sink and that the city was monitoring the situation.

Washington City officials are moving on proposed solutions to fix a gradual slide occurring the hillside that has damaged a part of Telegrpah Street north of Washington Parkway, Washington City, Utah, Sept. 9, 2016 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News
Washington City officials are moving forward on proposed solutions to fix a gradual slide occurring on the hillside that has damaged a part of Telegraph Street north of Washington Parkway, Washington City, Utah, Sept. 9, 2016 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News

“It was the end of December when we started to notice some cracks in the hillside,” city Public Works Director Mike Shaw said.

Geotechnical crews later confirmed the cracks were the result of a gradual landslide taking place beneath the road.

Within the year prior to the discovery of the hillside cracks, the road had sunk at least 12 inches or more, Shaw said in February. During that time the city paved and patched the affected roadway to keep it usable.

That part of Telegraph Street hadn’t given the city much grief until after a water line in the area broke, Washington Mayor Ken Neilson said. Following the break, that part of the hillside started to creep at a faster rate.

What was a noticeable yet seemingly smooth pavement-patch on the roadway accompanied by a slight drop on the surface in February has since transformed into a spiderweb of cracks and traffic cones. The four-lane road has been reduced to two lanes and a speed-limit of 20-25 mph has been imposed – at least for those motorists who bother to pay attention.

On the other side of the barricades that line the edge of the road are the visible cracks in the ground, including one that reaches from the roadway and cuts right next to the foundation of a leaning power pole.

Washington City officials are moving on proposed solutions to fix a gradual slide occurring the hillside that has damaged a part of Telegrpah Street north of Washington Parkway, Washington City, Utah, Sept. 9, 2016 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News
A crack in the hillside running by a power pole that has started to lean. Washington City officials are moving forward on proposed solutions to fix a gradual slide occurring on the hillside that has damaged a part of Telegraph Street north of Washington Parkway, Washington City, Utah, Sept. 9, 2016 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News

While the sight doesn’t paint the prettiest of pictures and is worrisome to city officials and residents alike, Shaw said there is little need to worry about a sudden, catastrophic slide taking place.

“This is a slow-moving slide,” he said. “It’s not all of a sudden going to give way.”

Part of monitoring the hill’s movement has included the marking of up to 30 survey points on the hillside, as well as the installment of inclinometers in the hillside to help determine the size and speed of the slide, Shaw said.

Over the summer, solutions to end the sinking of Telegraph Street were proposed by a geotechnical firm following determination of the cause.

One proposal includes putting concrete pillars into the hillside at a 45-degree angle, the mayor said. Another option involves reinforcing the hillside with additional earth in order to act as a buttress. The earthen-reinforcement would start at the bottom and work its way up the hillside.

“That’s the fix,” Neilson said.

The mayor said he understands and appreciates the frustrations some Washington City residents have toward what they perceive as the city’s slowness to act on the Telegraph Street problems. They wanted to make sure they had the right recommendations, he said, before acting,

Washington City officials are moving on proposed solutions to fix a gradual slide occurring on the hillside that has damaged a part of Telegraph Street north of Washington Parkway, Washington City, Utah, Sept. 9, 2016 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News
Cracks and traffic cones dot Telegraph Street in Washington City. Officials are moving forward on proposed solutions to fix a gradual slide occurring on the hillside that has damaged a part of Telegraph Street north of Washington Parkway, Washington City, Utah, Sept. 9, 2016 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News

“It’s going to be a multimillion-dollar fix,” Shaw said, echoing the mayor’s sentiment. “We want to make sure we go in with a fix that takes care of the issue so we’re not back, in another year, spending another million dollars. We’re trying to avoid that.”

And now that they have those recommendations, the city is moving forward.

“We think, right now, we think we’re there,” Neilson said.

During its Aug. 24 meeting, the Washington City Council unanimously approved a resolution allowing the city to suspend procurement requirements related to its bidding process for road and utility projects. Allowed under state law when either city infrastructure or residents are at risk, this process allows the city to get bids from any company interested in the project. It is anticipated this will help speed up the remedies and get roadwork started sooner.

Washington City officials are moving on proposed solutions to fix a gradual slide occurring the hillside that has damaged a part of Telegrpah Street north of Washington Parkway, Washington City, Utah, Sept. 9, 2016 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News
Traffic cones dot Telegraph Street in Washington City. Officials are moving forward on proposed solutions to fix a gradual slide occurring the hillside that has damaged a part of Telegrpah Street north of Washington Parkway, Washington City, Utah, Sept. 9, 2016 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News

“We will bid it out, but it will be a very expedited bidding process,” Shaw said to the council. “We will contact contractors that have equipment big enough to move the amount of earth we need moved because it is a very large amount of earthmoving. And we will set a very tight timeframe that they have to move it in.”

In the meantime the city is also working with the Army Corps of Engineers to get permission to work in the wash at the base of the hillside, Shaw told the City Council in an August meeting. They are also working with the School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration, as it owns property located within the affected area.

Once the proper permits and permissions are obtained and bids are secured, Shaw said repair work on Telegraph could start in January.

The city hopes to keep Telegraph Street open once roadwork begins, Shaw said, as the only other major roadway connecting between that part of Washington City and state Route 9 is Interstate 15.

He also asks that motorists passing through the damaged part of Telegraph Street obey the speed limit and slow down.

Click on photo to enlarge it, then use your left-right arrow keys to cycle through the gallery.

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @MoriKessler

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2016, all rights reserved.

 

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13 Comments

  • .... September 18, 2016 at 11:05 am

    It’s Obamas fault

    • Henry September 18, 2016 at 7:30 pm

      Hillary warned us about fracking!

      • ladybugavenger September 19, 2016 at 9:06 am

        It’s Obama and Hillary’s fault!

        • .... September 19, 2016 at 8:24 pm

          It’s Obamas and Hillarys and Bushes fault !

  • old school September 18, 2016 at 11:06 am

    Why don’t you just cut further into the hillside and move the road east where it’s more stable. Officials won’t make near as much in kickbacks, but it wouldn’t be as cost of the tax payers

  • Robert September 18, 2016 at 11:27 am

    My question is which “official” is so clairvoyant that he could make this statement ?? “This is a slow-moving slide,” he said. “It’s not all of a sudden going to give way.” I thought the town officials were just a tad smarter than that, which could cost the town hundreds of millions if the hill and road does go, with some motorist on it.

    • .... September 18, 2016 at 7:31 pm

      Well then don’t use that road

  • Sue September 18, 2016 at 1:08 pm

    seems to me that that metal power pole is the cause. It didn’t slide until that pole was put in there. THAT slide caused the water line to break. I agree, cut further into the hill.

  • SteveSGU September 18, 2016 at 1:40 pm

    Washington Parkway runs north-south, so there is nothing north of it except for I-15 and the Pine Valley Mountains. Are you talking about Telegraph east of Washington Parkway?

    https://www.google.com/maps/dir/37.1316294,-113.4854529/37.1466313,-113.4869445/@37.1360474,-113.520291,13.62z/data=!4m2!4m1!3e0

    • Avatar photo Mori Kessler September 23, 2016 at 8:39 am

      Your comment has been noted.

  • hiker75 September 18, 2016 at 3:36 pm

    Great engineering…

  • Ron September 19, 2016 at 10:32 am

    Washington City officials brilliance shines. (Sarcasm intended).

  • Lastdays September 20, 2016 at 2:26 pm

    Highway 91 was a narrow 2 lane road up and over that hill that operated for years and years with out moving. Then a contractor came in and cut blue clay out of the hillside and shoved it off the edge of the road to widen it.
    It appears that the crack in the road and the large section that is sliding, is from the crappy soil that was shoved off the hill and “compacted” to widen the road. Not hard to figure out why its moving.

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