Emergency Relief Program Resilience Case Study – Alabama: U.S. Highway 231 Landslide Repair Project
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Abstract:From February 11 to 13, 2020, northern Alabama received over 10 inches of rain, triggering a landslide underneath U.S. Highway 231 (US 231). The landslide occurred 1.6 miles south of Lacey Springs, Morgan County. The event affected about 400 feet of the heavily used corridor that serves much of the traffic between the cities of Arab and Huntsville. The slide caused extensive damage to both the north and southbound roadways of US 231. Both roadways experienced extensive cracking; however, the damage to the southbound roadway increased significantly over the course of the storm. The southbound roadway suffered from pavement bulging and movement resulting in a 4-foot drop. The roadway had to be closed to traffic, resulting in a 16-mile detour for passenger cars and a 33-mile detour for trucks, which significantly impacted surrounding communities and added 30 to 60 minutes to travel times respectively. Due to the geology of the surrounding area (i.e., Pottsville formation and ancient colluvial material), the roadway is frequently saturated during rainstorms. Most recently before the 2020 event, heavy rainfall caused cracking and moving of the roadway. As a result, portions of the roadway were repaved, smaller cracks were sealed, and inclinometers were installed to monitor continuing movement at the site.
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