Mr. Gmeindl,
Terry
Hough had sent me a copy of the previous correspondence concerning the drainage
grates in the City of Morgantown on August 10th. I had not
totally forgotten about this issue and had kept it in my inbox to ensure I
replied to it, I had just not been able to get to it. Scott Copen had
described very well the circumstances involved modifying these grates.
This is a very time consuming repair and it requires a substantial amount of
traffic control. Our forces are also not that well equipped to perform
this work at night and on most of the routes previously referred to, we prefer
to do any significant maintenance work on them during nighttime hours.
That
being said, we fortunately do have work scheduled in several of the areas that
you referred to for the 2011 construction season. This work will be
performed by contract forces and in some cases that work will be performed at
night. The first area we plan to work is the Beechurst project that you
referred to in your email below. On this project several of the inlets
are set up to be adjusted, which will require that the height be modified on
them. This would be the most opportune time for WVDOH to address the grates
on these inlets. We will work with our construction personnel and ensure
that any of the grates in this area that are not up to our current urban
standard, will be replaced with one that is. WVDOH also plans to
resurface Monongahela Blvd. from just south of the intersection of WV 705 and
continuing to Boyers Avenue. Our District 4 design staff will be
preparing the plans for this project and I will ensure that any grates in this area
that do not meet urban standards will be replaced with one that does.
In reviewing the previous
correspondence, I also noted that you had requested that the grates on the
Westover Bridge and Walnut Street Bridge be addressed. Has this been
done? Outside of the areas I have described in this email, are there
other areas that you feel are in WVDOH jurisdiction that we need to take a look
at?
Thanks,
Bryan Radabaugh
WVDOT - Division of Highways
District 4 Design Engineer
304-842-1579 (O)
304-669-0599 (C)
From: Frank Gmeindl
[mailto:frank.gmeindl@comcast.net]
Sent: Monday, November 08, 2010 11:30 AM
To: Scott Copen
Cc: Terry Hough; Roy Nutter; Radabaugh, Bryan L; Damien Davis; Jeff
Mikorski; Bill Austin; tball@mub.org; Ryan Post; Morgantown Bike Board
Subject: Re: Unnecessary Road Hazards-Drainage Grates
Scott,
The article "MUB work to delay traffic" on page
7-A of today's Dominion Post prompted me to write this message.
I realize that you're just replacing water lines on
Beechurst but I would like you to consider taking this opportunity to begin
replacing the in-line drainage grates that run up Beechurst, beginning with the
two in front of the new WVU gateway before some cyclist breaks his or her neck.
(See attached photos.)
Frank D. Gmeindl
Chairman, Morgantown Municipal Bicycle Board
LCI #1703
491 WilsonAvenue
Morgantown, WV 26501
304-376-0446
Cyclists fare best when they act and are treated as drivers of vehicles