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Wow, what a wet fall and winter we've had! The deluge of rain in our area has created pockets, sometime very large pockets, of standing water, mudslides and piles of debris strewn about, most recently causing a road closure at Sunrise Bluff.
The WCA office receives a high volume of calls when these situations arise. We are happy to help where we can - to either fix the issue or offer guidance to residents of how to resolve the concern.
When it comes to water, snow, debris in the roadway, there is a hand-off between Woodlake and the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), and sometimes Chesterfield County.
Woodlake does not maintain, manage, or engage in anything having to do with the roads in the community*. The roadways and right-of-ways that extend past the edge of the pavement are managed and maintained by VDOT. This includes drainpipes, ditches and anything that has fallen into the road (like a tree or trash that may have been dropped from a vehicle). That being said, the WCA may pick up debris if it is something we can do to quickly make the situation safer. But large items like a tree in the road is a VDOT issue.
We mentioned drain pipes. That created the situation at Sunrise Bluff this week. The drainpipe under the road has failed and no longer allows water to flow as it should. This is a VDOT responsibility and the WCA made them aware of the situation. The pipe will be replaced by a VDOT contractor. However, it will take some time for the replacement to take place. VDOT will continue to manage and maintain passage during heavy rains until the pipe is replaced.
Similarly, when we get a heavy rain, the tunnels in the community will flood and puddle. This too is an area maintained by VDOT. Woodlake does not manage or maintain the tunnels or the areas at the entry and exits. Actually, what we call “tunnels” are very large drain pipes designed to move water and allow for drainage.
Decades back, Woodlake attached trails to these pipes to aid in crossing roads safely, but we, Woodlake, have no jurisdiction over their condition. We notify VDOT to correct any issues with the pipes, and while they have responded and made repairs, much more work remains to be done by the state with the large drain pipes that we use as tunnels. (In particular the support walls outside the pipes.)
We hope this offers an understanding of VDOT responsibilities vs. Woodlake’s related to roads, snow, debris and standing water.
Again, the WCA is happy to help any resident where we can. With that, we would like to add, when a situation arises (like the flooding at Sunrise Bluff this week), the WCA can make a call to the appropriate agency, but that is merely one call. When residents call, it creates a volume of calls - and more calls can aid in getting the issue resolved faster.
* During snow events, Woodlake does work in concert with VDOT plowing some of the roads in Woodlake. This would be the only time Woodlake executes road work.
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