Work got under way Sept. 12 near Harpers Ferry, W. Va., to install rockfall protection and stabilization measures associated with the existing slopes above a short stretch of northbound U.S. Highway 340 along the southern banks of both the Shenandoah and Potomac rivers.
Crews on the U.S. 340 Rockslide Project will conduct the work over the next three months while considering local traffic impacts and future development of the highway's corridor through the scenic river valley.
Safety is at the core of this project, noted the West Virginia Department of Highways (WVDOH). The mountainous section of U.S. 340 between the Shenandoah River Bridge and the Virginia state line has a history of rock falls, according to the agency, which plans to remove any loose rocks, and scale off future rockfalls.
Last May, the WVDOH awarded a $10.2 million contract to Triton Construction from nearby St. Albans, W. Va., to stabilize the rockslide-prone mountain above U.S. 340.
The contract also calls for localized rock bolting and removal of potential large scale rockfall hazards. Additionally, the rockfall mitigation efforts on the slope will include draped and pinned mesh, ground-level rockfall barriers and on-slope rockfall attenuator systems.
The existing cut slopes in the project study area are a product of U.S. 340's construction in the mid-1950s and natural erosion along the Shenandoah River.
WVDOH noted that those slopes and the exposed rock of natural slopes vary in height from 150 ft. to more than 300 ft. above the roadway. The cut slopes exhibit varying degrees of rockfall activity that present potential hazards to drivers and hikers and require ongoing maintenance by the state agency.
Rockfall Mitigation Project Leads to Driving Detours
The highway is a high-traffic volume corridor carrying about 24,500 vehicles a day, including local, commuter and truck traffic from Virginia east through West Virginia and Maryland. Due to its recreational and historical significance in the region, U.S. 340 also experiences heavy traffic from seasonal tourism.
The U.S. 340 rockslide project area is approximately 1-mi.-long and is located in the Loudoun Heights region of the Harper's Ferry National Historical Park, west of the West Virginia/Virginia border.
As a result of the rockfall control effort, a section of U.S. 340 between West Virginia Highway 671/Harpers Ferry Road and Chestnut Hill Road will be closed. Detours may be up to 22 mi. in length, adding an average of 35 minutes of travel time for many visitors.
Although the road is scheduled to be closed for 90 days, WVDOH said the project could take longer to complete.
In addition, the Appalachian Trail over the U.S. 340 bridge across the Shenandoah River will remain open throughout the construction but may be interrupted for no more than 20 minutes to allow helicopters to reach the work site.
A posted detour around the project area uses W. Va. 9, Va. 9, and Va. 671 to return to U.S. 340 on the Virginia side, and upgrades to the signalized intersection in Virginia also have been made.
WVDOH also is working closely with the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) to coordinate the project.
Mountain Trail Closures Also Planned
The National Park Service (NPS), which manages the Harpers Ferry National Historical Park (NHP) at the confluence of the two rivers, also announced some closures ahead of the rock stabilization effort.
"Due to potentially hazardous conditions during rockslide stabilization work along U.S. 340, Harpers Ferry National Historical Park will temporarily close a portion of the Loudoun Heights Trail, certain climbing routes and a section of river shoreline," according to an NPS news release. "The temporary closures will continue for the duration of the work."
The Loudoun Heights Trail will be blocked off 1 mi. east of its intersection with the Appalachian Trail through the Split Rock Overlook, the NPS added, while noting the Loudoun Heights Trail will be monitored throughout the project to see if further closures become necessary for the safety of hikers and construction workers.
The park service also announced that climbing routes in Virginia and West Virginia east of Chestnut Hill Road will be closed during the work, as well as a 0.8 mi. section of shoreline below the work where the Shenandoah meets the Potomac.
Harpers Ferry NHP plans to remain open and continue offering programming and events throughout the closure. Recreational activities and trails throughout the rest of the park will not be impacted.
The town became infamous in 1859 when abolitionist John Brown led a raid on the U.S. armory located there, an event that was a flash point in starting the American Civil War. As the northernmost point of Confederate-controlled territory during the war, Harpers Ferry became a key outpost of the South due to its location on the slopes between the two rivers.
The town also was an antebellum manufacturing and transportation hub in the 19th century but has long since reoriented its economy around tourism.
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