Patuxent River Road Sinkhole Still Under Repair

In early September, Tropical Storm Lee—that came on the heels of Tropical Storm Irene- between Queen Anne Bridge Road and Central Avenue in Davidsonville.

Exactly three months and a dozen days later, the road still isn't open.

Subscribe to the Edgewater-Davidsonville Patch newsletter for an alert when the road opens.

A similar project on Old Herald Harbor Road was completed and the road reopened on Nov. 23, so I thought I'd check in on how work was progressing in Davidsonville.

I stopped by the work site Monday to get photos.

While the culvert has been installed under the road and the road is now passable with built-up structures plus a gravel and dirt covering, there is still quite a bit of work to be done.

For example, the road isn't paved and there are no guardrails in place. 

When I got there, the Anne Arundel County Department of Public Works (DPW) employees were about 100 yards downstream working with heavy equipment in the streambed.

I emailed Matt Diehl, DPW spokesman, who said that weather conditions have delayed the finish date. So far, the work already completed includes:

• Removal of the collapsed pipe remnants and debris
• Replacement of the damaged pipe
• Installation of properly-sized pipes to allow safe conveyance of 100-year storm without road overtopping
• Pavement restoration

He said the work in the streambed was a requirement from the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE), where they had to create a natural stream bottom to support adequate fish passage. This was a regulation for Old Herald Harbor's sinkhole as well.

"It is mandated for most culvert projects of this size," Diehl said.

Around Thanksgiving, DPW estimated that the road . While the work is close to being completed, the target date for completion has slipped. Diehl said that weather was mostly to blame for the delay

The sinkhole, , was created when the creek was so swollen from floodwaters that it over-topped the road and washed the pavement, guardrails and culvert downstream and into the Patuxent River. One of the goals of the rebuilding project was to allow the structure to survive a similar-sized flood.

Diehl also wanted readers to note that planning and engineering work that was done behind-the-scenes was completed prior to any on-site work or visible activity. Those tasks included the following engineering tasks:

• Detail surveys to establish spot elevations.
• Field meetings with MDE to discuss damage and alternative restoration strategies.
• The need for engineering calculations and restoration design.
• MDE approval of restoration strategy and design.

Diehl is working on sending a new date for completion of the project.

I'll post it when I get it.