Laconia Riverwalk Project Delay

[Just Sold]

Retaining wall collapse will delay portion of Riverwalk project Laconia: By GAIL OBER gober@citizen.com Thursday, October 22, 2009 DARYL CARLSON/CITIZEN PHOTO Work has commenced on the parking lot adjacent to city hall where a retaining wall collapsed into the Winnipesaukee River last week City Public Works Director Paul Moynihan said construction on the parts of the Laconia Riverwalk not near the collapsed wall along the Winnipesaukee River will continue while he is putting together estimates to repair the damage. About 75 feet of the retaining wall along the river collapsed last Friday morning while a construction worker was using a roller to compress the soil. The worker was able to jump to safety before his roller landed in the river and was unharmed, but Moynihan said that portion of the Riverwalk will remain shut down until he knows how and how much it will cost to fix it. He said rebuilding the retaining wall would require a wetlands permit from the State Department of Environmental Services but added that the agency said it would expedite the permit so long as the new wall stays in the same footprint as the old one. Moynihan said he also made some initial contacts to lower the river so crews could work in the collapsed area. After the collapse, the Laconia Fire Department spread sediment booms along the river to stop debris from running off into the river should it rain. The area has also been secured. So far, the area has not seen any significant precipitation, but the weather forecasters are saying the area could see heavy rains this coming Saturday. WORK HAS begun on the parking lot adjacent to City Hall where a retaining wall collapsed into the Winnipesaukee River last week. DARYL CARLSON/ CITIZEN PHOTO