Guernsey Country receives $1.2M in emergency grants following heavy April rains

Steph West
·2 min read

CAMBRIDGE − The Guernsey County Engineer’s Office has received $1.2 million in emergency funding to fix county roads following heavy April rains. The money came from the Ohio Public Works Commission’s (OPWC) emergency program.

The money will repair three of 22 slips on two Guernsey County roads; two slips on Claysville Road and one on Rose Hill Road. Rose Hill Road is the worst of all 22 slips and will be closed until further notice. Work on the three slips is expected to start in July after bids for the work go out and are awarded.

Paul Sherry
Paul Sherry

“(The grant) will cover up to 90% of the cost of stabilizing the embankment and repairing the road,” said Guernsey County Engineer Paul Sherry of fixing the slips. “It takes about two to three months each to repair.”

The slips show themselves as cracks in the road, which stem from the heavy rains making the soil both under the road and on the hillsides slip. The permanent fix is to build a retainer wall under the road, refill it with dirt, and re-lay the road. The engineer’s office will work hand-in-hand with a geological team to ensure the soil is also in the right condition to repair the issue.

Rose Hill Road is the worst of 22 slips that occurred in Guernsey County due to the heavy April rains. Rose Hill is closed until further notice.
Rose Hill Road is the worst of 22 slips that occurred in Guernsey County due to the heavy April rains. Rose Hill is closed until further notice.

Sherry said there are an additional 19 slips at a cost of $5 million that need fixed due to the April rains.

He met with the Federal Emergency Management Agency in early May for funds to permanently fix those as well.

“We can do a less expensive repair that will be good for a while, but it doesn’t always last,” said Sherry. “If we can get the FEMA money, we’ll fix it permanently.”

He said he expects to hear back in July whether FEMA declares the April rain an emergency event, and then they will have access to the money. Additional damages to township and municipal infrastructure will also be considered for repair or reimbursement.

Claysville Road suffered two slips due to the heavy April rains.
Claysville Road suffered two slips due to the heavy April rains.

Sherry said the April rains also caused blocked pipes, washed out roads, and several downed trees. The Public Works emergency funds are absolute necessary for the county to respond quickly to repairs.“We would not have been able to do these permanent repairs without it.”

This article originally appeared on The Daily Jeffersonian: Guernsey Country receives $1.2M in grants to fix flood-damaged roads