Collapsed Pipe Removed, Repairs to Fix Banksville Flooding Problem

PennDOT officials believe recent repairs will fix the flooding problem that has caused Banksville Road to close three times since July 10.

Heavy rains, along with a failed pipeline in the area, are to blame for the flooding, and crews worked Wednesday and Thursday to remove nearly 100 feet of failed pipe along private property on Banksville Road.

“In conjunction with the very heavy rains we’ve experienced the past two weeks, and this pipe failing, this was creating the flooding issue we were seeing that forced us to close the road several times during that timeframe,” said PennDOT spokesperson Steve Cowan.

Severe flooding in that area is uncommon, Cowan said, and when PennDOT was able to pinpoint the source of the problem, crews acted quickly to repair it.

Where the pipe used to be, there is now a wide ditch between 15 and 20 feet deep and filled with rocks, which will allow water to flow from the end of the existing pipe through an inlet box and into a natural stream. A fence and barrier will separate the ditch from the road.

Cowan did not know the exact age of the pipe, which he said is large enough for a person to stand up in, but said it is not recent construction.

“Our maintenance crews have been working very diligently in the interest of public safety so that we don’t have to close Banksville again,” Cowan said. “They are very confident that this will alleviate the problem.”