Green Street wall could cost $500,000 or more

By Howard Weiss-Tisman

hwtisman@reformer.com @HowardReformer on Twitter

BRATTLEBORO >> The town will have to spend between $391,500 and $774,000 to save the Green Street retaining wall above Harmony Lot, according to a report that was recently completed, and the Selectboard will now have to decide which method to pursue to save the failing structure.

Lower Green Street has been closed to traffic since early September when deep cracks were found in the pavement and engineers determined that the massive wall holding up the road was shifting down toward the Harmony Parking Lot.

The Public Works Department asked Stevens & Associates to evaluate the existing condition and make recommendations to address the issue, and the report laid out three different options the town could take to replace, restore or remove the stone wall. Department of Public Works Director Steve Barrett met with Town Manager Peter Elwell to talk about the options, and Barrett is expected to present the report to the Selectboard soon to make a decision about the town's next step.

"Whatever option we go with, it has to be done soon because the wall is in danger of collapsing," Barrett said. "The wall continues to move and it is a very serious situation."

Stevens & Associates engineers Brud Sanderson and Hamilton Hodgman found that the wall is currently overturning at the southeast leg, with out-of-plumb measurements exceeding one foot. The wall is failing deep within the soils holding up the road, according to the report, and the engineers are recommending a complete reconstruction or removal.

While Barrett said more work has to be done before committing to one of the three options, Barrett said he is probably going to recommend that the town rebuild the wall at a cost of about $550,000.

The town has a number of construction material options to consider, ranging in cost from $449,500 to $774,000, and Barrett said he would have more information for the Selectboard at the Feb. 17 meeting on the advantages and challenges of each material.

Along with reconstructing the wall, the report also provides information on a method using soil nails, which act to stabilize the structure instead of rebuilding it. This method would require some specialized machinery to access the site, and would cost an estimated $572,000.

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Green Street wall could cost $500,000 or more