Wheeler Road, about one mile north of Gerald, has been closed to all traffic due to the road and the culverts beneath it washing out after heavy rain.
The announcement of the closure came early …
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Wheeler Road, about one mile north of Gerald, has been closed to all traffic due to the road and the culverts beneath it washing out after heavy rain.
The announcement of the closure came early Wednesday morning, July 3, by Michelle Patke with the Franklin County Highway Department.
The road washed out just west of the access road to Gerald’s water treatment plant.
If this all sounds familiar, it’s because the same thing happened after a heavy rain Tuesday, April 2. The road was closed at that time until repairs were made and the road reopened April 19.
According to Franklin County Highway Administrator Jim Grutsh, the cost to reopen the road was $5,000 to $6,000. This included resetting the two side-by-side culverts and laying on asphalt patch on the surface.
Grutsh says this time the repairs will be more substantive. “It’s obvious that with large unexpected (rain) events, the pipes are not an adequate size,” he told The Republican.
The repair this time will not include reusing the culverts. Instead, four-sided box structures will be installed under the road surface. These will allow a larger volume of water to flow through the unnamed stream on its way to Cedar Fork Creek.
This time the repair will cost $40,000, but will hopefully provide a more permanent solution to these “100 year rains” that are becoming more frequent.
Grutsh estimates the project will be completed in 60 days.
Wheeler Road wasn’t the only one shut down by last week’s heavy rains. The Highway Department reported as of Monday, July 8, the following Franklin County roads remain closed:
• Boeuf Lutheran Road (south of New Haven) is closed at the low water bridge, due to water over the road.
• St. John’s Creek Road (Washington area), closed at the low water crossing due to high water.
• Wheeler Road (right next to treatment plant in Gerald), closed until further notice, due to multiple culvert pipes being washed out.
• Hoeman Road (New Haven), closed at the low water slab due to flooding.
• Detmold Road (New Haven), closed at the low water slab due to flooding.
The majority of these roads are in the western part of the county.
