US25W lane restriction in W’burg remains in place until Oct. 12

A portion of US25W in Williamsburg is expected to remain one lane until Oct. 12 following a recent mudslide.

A mudslide last Thursday will keep a portion of US25W in Williamsburg restricted to one lane until Oct. 12.

The slide has a 200-yard portion of US25W between G&E Drive-In and Campbell Hill reduced to one lane, and a temporary traffic signal is in place.

Williamsburg Police Officer Elijah Hunter was driving by about 10 p.m. Thursday, and was the first to spot the mudslide. He reported it to Chief Wayne Bird, who in turn notified Mayor Roddy Harrison.

“I ran out there. It must have just happened a few minutes earlier,” Harrison said.

City officials then contacted the Kentucky Department of Transportation and Kentucky Utilities about the situation.

The road was initially shutdown for about an hour before officials determined that it was safe to keep one lane of the road open.

Motorists are urged to use caution in the area.

Harrison said that he thinks too much rainfall caused the slide.

“The only indication I got from this is there has been so much heavy rainfall over the course of this year. What did we get 12 inches in five days or something like that? It was a ridiculous amount,” Harrison said.

“The heaviness of the rain fall we had just added too much weight to the ground that was already saturated and it just slid off into the river.”

Harrison said that the entire grassy area around the slide is very soft ground.

Harrison said Monday morning that he isn’t sure how Kentucky Transportation Cabinet officials are going to fix the slide. They were expected to take core samples Monday, and then make a decision from there.

Harrison anticipates work starting sometime early this week weather permitting.