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Chief engineer expects repair work under contract in October at the earliest

 

SALUDA—At the recent Henderson County Commissioners meeting, Wesley Grindstaff, chief engineer for the North Carolina Department of Transportation division that oversees Henderson, Transylvania, and Polk counties, gave an update on expected repairs on Hwy. 176 between Tryon and Saluda.

“We have received numerous requests to expedite the Polk County portion, which has experienced significant failures,” Grindstaff said. “This section will involve a series of large retaining walls, and it’s likely we won’t be able to get it under contract until October at the earliest. Currently, it’s unsafe even for one-lane emergency traffic.”

Grindstaff detailed the challenges facing the NCDOT in the aftermath of the storm. 

“The wreckage left behind by Hurricane Helene has severely depleted our supply of geotechnical engineers. Their expertise is critical for analyzing the ground and designing new retaining walls necessary for safe roadways,” he explained.

The backlog of projects is compounded by the fact that many geotechnical design firms have reached their capacity, tying up the process of evaluating soil stability and necessary foundation work. 

“While the contracting industry has the resources to tackle these projects, we’re encountering a bottleneck with geotechnical design firms,” remarked Grindstaff. “The sheer number of retaining walls we need to build is unprecedented.”

A report published by TRIP, a transportation research nonprofit based in Washington, D.C., analyzed the storm’s repercussions on Western North Carolina’s transportation infrastructure. According to NCDOT estimates, Tropical Storm Helene damaged nearly 9,400 sites, closed 1,400 state-maintained roads, and damaged 818 state bridges. The report outlines the initial response, ongoing recovery efforts, and the estimated costs and timelines associated with restoring the region’s critical transportation infrastructure.

As recovery efforts progress, NCDOT emphasizes the importance of safety and thorough engineering assessments before reopening roads to traffic. Residents are urged to remain patient as the challenges of rebuilding continue to unfold in the wake of this significant natural disaster.