Water back on to 500

Part of Bullen Gap Road still closed

  • Nathan Heaton from Tri-State EMC works removing a section of guardrail from the side of Bullen Bap Road. The section was left unstable by a washout that occurred Thursday night, March 25, and had to be removed so Tri-State crews could work to stabalize a power pole that was also affected.
    Nathan Heaton from Tri-State EMC works removing a section of guardrail from the side of Bullen Bap Road. The section was left unstable by a washout that occurred Thursday night, March 25, and had to be removed so Tri-State crews could work to stabalize a power pole that was also affected.
  • A City of Blue Ridge water line lies broken below a power pole, both affected by a washout early Friday morning off Bullen Gap Road.
    A City of Blue Ridge water line lies broken below a power pole, both affected by a washout early Friday morning off Bullen Gap Road.

    Water customers on the Blue Ridge system who were affected by the broken water main on Bullen Gap Road can expect full repairs by the end of the week, but in the meantime, do not drive on Bullen Gap Road from the intersection of Highway 515 to the Mountain Tops Subdivision entrance, Blue Ridge Mayor Donna Whitener has said.

    Friday, March 26, heavy storms caused a portion of Bullen Gap Road to washout, undermining an entire lane and busting a water main, affecting around 500 customers.

    The washout also affected a Tri-State EMC power pole, which was fixed later that day, and a guardrail.

    Since, a temporary fix has been made to provide water to Blue Ridge customers.

    Whitener explained that contractors will be out all week to correct the damages, and interruptions to water will be minimal.

    She anticipates the repairs to cost $300,000 as the work also requires the repair of the road.

    “It’s gonna be closed for probably about a week because we’re going to be putting a new line in down through the middle of the road,” Whitener said of the portion of Bullen Gap Road.

    “The water line ran alongside the guard rail and up the road, so we’re having to move the water line completely to somewhere else. We hope not to interrupt the water, but, you know, as long as that temporary fix holds, we’ll have to probably have the water on and off two other times, but that’ll be later in the week, and we will give plenty of notice when that’s gonna happen.”

    Utilities Director Rebecca Harkins agreed that connections will be interrupted for a couple hours later in the week while the new water line is tied in.

    Harkins also said that Johnson Paving is working to correct the drainage and culvert system, and until their work is complete, the work on the water line cannot begin.

    Whitener added that there is another area of washout, that is less severe, right at the entrance to the Mountain Tops Subdivision,that is not to be confused with the area closer to 515.

    Additionally, there are barrels in place in an attempt to deter traffic.

    An emergency meeting with the city council was called Friday at 11 a.m. in order to approve the work.

    Real-time updates will be made available on The News Observer’s website at www.thenewsobserver.com and on the City of Blue Ridge’s Facebook page, @BlueRidgeGaCityGovt.