Update as of as 1.27.2024

Erica Drive:

After equipment repairs and weather delays, the road maintenance work on Erica Drive is now nearly completed.  Throughout the construction work, members of the Roads Committee periodically drove along and walked stretches of the road to determine if the work was satisfactory in removing the serious potholes and providing better road conditions.  The most recent review was on January 22, at which time, we identified a few emerging potholes that developed following the snow and rain during the holiday season.  The contractor has agreed to address the additional spots and we anticipate the work to be done over the next week.

Weatherall Drive:

The road maintenance work on Weatherall Drive was more extensive as it involved both the road contractor and the affected utility companies.  This meant marking the underground utilities, removing the culvert pipe underneath the road, relocating and proper re-seating of the pipe with dirt and gravel, reconnecting the utilities, and rolling and gravelling the road surface.  Attached are photos of some construction work in process.

During our January 22 review of the road, we found that the bulk of the repair work to the road surface had been completed and the roadway is open.  On the review, we noticed that a joint near the culvert outfall was slowly leaking.  The contractor will be making repairs to the joint and sealing the crack once the water leak has slowed to the point where parching of the joint can be effective in providing a permanent seal over the crack.  There are also some potholes on Weatherall Drive that will be addressed as the final road maintenance work on this road is completed.

Advice on Road Maintenance:  We urge drivers on Erica Drive, Weatherall Drive, and all the non-VDOT roads in the community to exercise care when driving on these gravel roads.  Vehicles accelerating quickly or making sudden stops or turns on gravel surfaces can result in more rapid deterioration of the road surfaces.  Unfortunately, the funds are limited for the minimal maintenance work that is done.  Once the funds provided by the former Civic Associations are exhausted, there are no additional funds available for future maintenance or to prepare the roads for inclusion into the State system for maintenance.  We are continuing to research what options may exist to provide for future road maintenance of the non-VDOT roads.  We will update the community with the most viable options.

posted 01.27.24