Design change helped Salem protect bridge from flooding impact

Flood clean-up in Salem started with an overnight effort, as city crews worked through Thursday night into early Friday to remove debris from roads and bridges.

Mike Tyler, Salem’s Director of Streets and Maintenance, told me some of the most pressure from the raging Roanoke River was put on the Mill Lane bridge.

“There is so much turbulence when the water comes around here and places it can get under and over, it will create turbulence on the other side.  Creating a big hole working its way back,“ Tyler said.

That was until around a decade ago.  The road around the bridge used to take the brunt of the flood’s fury, and repair crews would have to replace parts of it every year.

Then the City decided to put concrete walls next to the road for support.

Before the concrete slabs were dropped down in the late 1990’s, Tyler says the city wold have to spend $6,000 - $7,000 a year to fix portions of the road damaged by floods.  The concrete walls only cost $2,000 - $3,000.  Money that Tyler told me was well worth the cost to save the city money, and drivers from frustrating detours.