A Literal ‘Riverside Drive’

McCONNELSVILLE, Ohio – The Muskingum River has handled the late summer storms better than many area creeks.

However State Route 60, which runs alongside much of the river has witnessed multiple riverbank erosions that have resulted in two separate lane closures within the Village of McConnelsville.

“Yeah, with that particular area and those two traffic lights, we have the bank that is eroded into the river. We had a slip there and it’s right up against the guardrail. Where our guardrail is dangling now kind of suspended in mid air. And we’re just trying to keep traffic off that southbound lane and hopefully not have anymore incidents until we can get it fixed,” McConnelsville Village Administrator Tim Louis said.

The Ohio Department of Transportation has determined that it will take steel pilings driven into the riverbed and back filled to the edge of the road with dirt and gravel. Additionally, two culverts that flowed under Riverside Drive were plugged with debris, which caused severe ponding and stormwater to flow over the roadway.  

“Actually, we’re up to four slips now,” Louis said. “So we have four slips on Riverside Drive between the roundabout and the corporation limits. So we are looking, probably in the ball park of a minimum of $5 million up to $8-to-$10 (Million) right now. It is designated as a Federal… Arterial Route. So that makes it, once an emergency declaration has… is given, that makes it kind of the responsibility of ODOT to help us.”

Much of the riverbank along that stretch of road remains unstable and damage assessments are still being made. No timeframe has been set for a return to two-way traffic for that stretch of road that has no easy detour.