Chattanooga would have to invest at least $14 million in road repairs if it wanted to fix every street that risks crumbling into nearby creeks, a city engineer said Tuesday.
“I just wanted to give you a heads up,” said Ariel Soriano, engineering manager for engineering, design and construction for the Public Works Department.
Soriano gave a brief presentation to the City Council on Tuesday during its Public Works Committee meeting about slope failures, roads that are “falling off the side of a hill.” Soriano said the city has identified 14 locations as having slope failures.
“No. 1 is Hamill Road,” he said.
A portion of Hamill Road that skirts Greenway Farm risks being washed away into North Chickamauga Creek, he said.
“Does this road need to be closed for safety reasons now?” asked Councilwoman Deborah Scott.
Soriano replied the city has put up signs and is monitoring speed levels in the area. He said he did not think it needed to be closed now.
BY THE NUMBERS* $14 million: Amount needed to fix all the slope failures within city limits* 14: Roads experiencing slope failuresSource: Chattanooga
“The road is being held up by sanitary sewer,” he said.
The second area the city needs to target is Lake Resort Drive near Chickamauga Dam, he said. This part of the road could wash away into the creek.
Councilman Andraé McGary asked if all 14 projects were equal in the amount of money needed to repair them.
“Are there some projects that need a bigger chunk?” he asked.
Soriano said the largest amount of money would need to be spent on reconstructing Hamill Road.
The city’s 2010-11 capital improvements budget included $1 million for slope failure repairs, records show.