Cleanup is underway on a state road impacted by landslides in Sewickley Heights.
Landslides in mid-April 2024 caused significant damage to Backbone Road between Little Sewickley Creek Road and Grouse Lane in Bell Acres.
It had further deteriorated since then and PennDOT crews have been out at least twice since the closure to clean up the area.
However, things were still a mess as of last month with portions of Backbone, including guide rails, spilling down the hillside.
A section of Little Sewickley Creek Road has been reduced to one lane due to the hillside spilling onto the road, engulfing several road hazard signs.
Sewickley Heights borough manager Nathan Briggs said borough crews have been out since June 2 to cleanup Little Sewickley Creek Road. About 400 cubic yards of material was hauled away.
The cleanup was to be completed by June 6.
Briggs said PennDOT would have to officially reopen the road.
It was unclear when that may happen. A message to PennDOT officials about Little Sewickley Creek Road was not returned by press time on June 5.
The borough plans to use some vegetation to help stabilize the hillside, but does not plan on doing any major mitigation at this time.
“It’s another step in the process,” Briggs said June 4. “We’re going to keep an eye on it and try to keep it from blocking the lane again.”
Slope stabilization is part of the bigger picture to fix Backbone Road.
Sewickley Heights officials in November submitted an application for about $990,000 through the state Department of Community & Economic Development’s Local Share Account.
No borough match is required.
Bell Acres officials, as well as state Rep. Valerie Gaydos, R-Sewickley, and state Sen. Devlin Robinson, R-Bridgeville, all submitted letters of support for the grant application.
Briggs said he hopes to hear back from the state in September or October. Backbone is not expected to be repaired unless grant funds are acquired.
The nearly $1 million repair figure came after geotechnical work by Pennsylvania Soil & Rock as well as analysis from GSI engineering.
Bell Acres resident John Otts, who lives up the hill from the closure, took photos of the cleanup effort June 3.
He said appreciates Sewickley Heights’ efforts, but it treats a symptom of the problem and not its cause
“All dirt is going to continue to move at some level,” Otts said on June 4. “It’s going to continue to move until you stop it.
“They won’t address the underlying problem. You have a serious problem and all they’re willing to do is through a bit of the workers’ time on it. Even though it’s their road, they have no intention of doing something unless somebody else pays for it.”
Approximately 80 Bell Acres residents live above the closure. The impacted portion of Backbone Road has no Sewickley Heights residences.
Bell Acres officials on June 4 said there have been no formal discussions with Sewickley Heights about contributing to Backbone Road repairs beyond the letter of support.
Otts said he plans to speak with his neighbors and borough officials to see what can be done about the road.