Photo courtesy of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, NY District
Dredging at North Dock to repair storm damages.
A severe thunderstorm last summer dumped 8 in. of rain in just a few hours in New York's Hudson Valley north of New York City, triggering historic flooding that resulted in landslides, flooded homes and washed-out roads.
In addition, the cloudburst — equivalent to several months of rain — all but engulfed the U.S. Military Academy (USMA) at West Point, where the New York District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) maintains a robust military-construction mission.
Many buildings and vehicles also were damaged at West Point, officials with the USACE said.
In the wake of the extreme flooding, the federal agency's New York District earlier this year began a $188 million project to repair damage to the campus. Work is now under way at 12 locations across the university, the USACE announced May 8.
Careful Assessment, Strategic Planning Proceeded Work
The USACE conducted a comprehensive assessment of the damage, partly through the use of drones, and identified key areas that required immediate attention. Engineers then calculated the volume of material washed away, assessed the movement of retaining walls and evaluated the terrain for runoff.
"We're very grateful for the support of our partners, including West Point's Directorate of Public Works, which have worked with us to ensure we can assign contracts quickly to begin construction," said Capt. Paul Ciabotti, USACE's deputy area engineer at USMA. "Our goal is to build West Point back better than it was before."
The public works departments (DPW) of both the New York State and the town of West Point devised a strategic plan prioritizing critical areas for immediate debris removal and repair, allowing residents to resume a greater measure of regular activities, despite some inconvenience.
USACE officials noted that the civilian DPWs have been and continue to be an integral partner assisting with scope development, have participated in pre-construction and weekly-progress meetings, and helped expedite processes and construction reviews.
West Point Roads Severely Damaged
Two of the USACE's major projects at West Point include fixing severe flood damage to Washington Road and Williams Road, each of which saw rushing water wipe out chunks of roadway and the retaining walls that supported them. The washout at Washington Road left a crevice more than 20-ft. deep; at Williams Road, 12 ft. of the street was carved out by the heavy rainfall.
Contractors currently are replacing the walls, re-paving the roads and planting grass alongside them.
At both work sites, areas were stabilized to minimize further erosion before the retaining walls were rebuilt. Two-ft.-thick concrete walls will be covered with veneer stone to match the original walls, the USACE added. The process was made more challenging by remaining portions of retaining wall and utility lines below ground.
Through careful planning, collaboration and fast-tracking solutions, the reconstruction and repairs at West Point are expected to be complete in late 2024, the agency noted.
The USACE's New York District supports Army infrastructure and facilities such as West Point through the military construction mission. Other installations supported by the district include Watervliet Arsenal, Fort Drum and Niagara Air Base in New York State; and Picatinny Arsenal and Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey, among others.
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