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After ‘Permanent’ Repair, Highway 97 Shoulder Collapses Again Into 50-Foot Deep Gully
September 23, 2014
[Updated 2 p.m.] About two months after repairs were completed to a collapsed shoulder on Highway 97 in Walnut Hill, the heavily traveled state roadway is once again crumbling into a deep gully.
Back on May 15, the shoulder of Highway 97 about a mile south of Ernest Ward Middle School collapsed in an existing 50-foot deep gully after a drainage pipe separated and undermined the shoulder. About a month later, the situation worsened, with part of the paved shoulder falling into the hole, prompting temporary repairs by the Florida Department of Transportation.
Crews used sandbags to shore up the shoulder on temporary basis back on June 13, and what was suppose to be permanent repairs were completed by Scott Bridge, Inc. in late July for a total of $102,577. The FDOT did sign off on the repairs, and Scott Bridge was paid, according to Ian Satter, public information director for FDOT District Three.
But now the recently replaced slope into the gully has washed away, exposing the newly replace drainage pipe, and the paved shoulder of the road has once again collapsed into the deep hole.
The FDOT’s district maintenance contractor, Transfield Services, began making repairs Tuesday afternoon.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Comments
21 Responses to “After ‘Permanent’ Repair, Highway 97 Shoulder Collapses Again Into 50-Foot Deep Gully”
Chris and Safebear have the best suggestions in my opinion.
They need to use sprayfoam trench breakers over and around the pipe like they do up in the mountains.
Next time try Gorilla Glue instead of Duct Tape.
Theres one on Hwy 4 near Dortch Rd that is doing the same thing….
Looks like someone needs to suck it up and put in some sheet piling. Long, thick sections of sheet metal that is pounded into the ground deep enough to form a solid wall to act as a wall to hold the road bed.
The contractor had to agree to the work that was done and either they don’t have a good engineer to figure it out or the State really forced them into taking it. Either way, the contractor will be assigned the blame and probably file an insurance claim to redo it.
Why is that big gulley there? Was it originally a creek or something? It does seem odd to have land on one side and a gulley on the other.
This is not the fault of the contractor.
The State of Florida highway department has many “road engineers” in Chipley.
Their job is to figure out how to do it correctly.
They also write the specs for the work to be done.
And they or someone with the state is suppose to inspect things along the way to insure the work is done to the specs.
Someone with the state “inspected” and signed off on the work done.
Before the contractor got paid.
100% blame is on the state of Florida.
>>Why are there rocks so close to the drainage pipe?
The rocks were placed there *after* the collapse, I suppose as temporary measure. The entire pipe and area with the rocks was under dirt.
Why are there rocks so close to the drainage pipe? You can’t compact soil around the pipe with the rocks there. I guess I am looking at something wrong.
There is a drainage pipe that runs under the road way right there from the ditch on the other side of the road . they need to dig out the road and put a big concrete box under the road to drain the water to the other side its all most like a bridge but its not . they need to get some one that is not from this area to design it cause the one we have here don’t know how
I wonder if they tested the soil to see if it could withstand the activity on the road.
WHAT IS PERMANANT TO SOME MIGHT BE JUST A CURSARY TEMPORARY FIX TO ANOTHER BUT EITHER WAY I’M SURE THE CONTRACTOR LAUGHED ALL THE WAY TO THE BANK FROM THIS ONE. THE STATE SHOULD EXPECT BETTER RESULTS FROM THE CONTRACTOR THAN THIS. THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN AN INSPECTOR THERE AT EVERY PHASE OF THE JOB TO SEE IT WAS DONE RIGHT. THEY NEED TO BE CALLED BACK SO THEY CAN LICK THIS ONE AGAIN. TAX MONEY JUST WASHED DOWN A HOLE—LITERALLY. WAS IT ONE OF THE GOOD-OLE BOYS.
Those commenting about a bridge — the highway does not cross the gulley, it runs along the top edge. There’s (apparent) solid ground with a field on the other side of the highway from the gulley.
>>>Escambia County can’t fix it and is not responsible for it…Highway 97 is a state roadway.
Ok State of Fla take some of that TAX money and fix it ,, These articles are opening up easy lawsuit if God forbids someone goes in ,, I know there is plenty of Taxes being paid and I know they can fix it If they cared to,, Instead they want to waste the money on a STOP light at 97/29 that is not going to fix the problem of dumb drivers that are still going to pull out in the lane,, I have been driving that road since I was 17 I am 60 and I know t stop look before moving on,, Fix his bridge area before a school bus load of kids go over in it ,,
News flash, put up a bridge and the problem will be solved.
I know nothing about road repair but it looks like this area needs a steel bridge instead of a fill repair.
>>Really Escambia county, Fla take some of that Gas Tax you forced on your residents that do not even get the use the bus and fix this right ,
Escambia County can’t fix it and is not responsible for it…Highway 97 is a state roadway.
I’m waiting on the road to completely collapse with a car or God forbid a bus load of kids in it while crossing. Really Escambia county, Fla take some of that Gas Tax you forced on your residents that do not even get the use the bus and fix this right ,,If not you better get ready for a multi Billion dollar lawsuit , Glad I have several ways to c to Pensacola
Guess it depends on how long the definition of permanent is?????
I am sure the check was permanently cashed by the contractor.
scott bridge. builds bridges, roads inc , builds roads