County road 38: Road damage in the embankment area
First District Councillor and Head of the Building Department Karl-Friedrich Frese, together with Adolf Scheuermann, District Roads Officer of the Building Department, informed themselves at a site visit with Hessen Mobil about slope stabilisation that will be necessary on district road 38 between Bad Wildungen-Frebershausen and Bad Wildungen-Albertshausen. "Hessen Mobil is currently investigating road damage that has occurred in the embankment area on behalf of the district," explained Frese. On a length of 120 metres at the level of the Dreisbach, slippages are evident on the embankment towards the valley side. These endanger the stability of the road.
Although the damage was already detected and assessed in February, constructional investigations in the area of the affected road section could only be carried out in better weather conditions since early summer. In the meantime, various rehabilitation proposals have been made, which are based on the soil conditions found.
Martin Riehl, head of the department for construction in Northern Hesse at Hessen Mobil, explains: "Fortunately, the embankment itself is not yet affected, otherwise we would have to completely rebuild the roadway from below", a lengthy and costly procedure. However, the identified damage to the K 38 could be remedied much more easily using the hydrocementing method with earth concrete or reinforced earth, to name just two possible methods.
"We are in consultation with the agencies involved, and the agreement for the renovation with Hessen Mobil has already been reached," added Frese, the head of the building department. The goal is to implement the rehabilitation measure in spring 2024 at the latest. Since this is an emergency and if the weather permits in a mild winter, a start of construction at the end of this year is also possible. Until the slope stabilisation is completed, warning beacons will indicate the danger zone. The district asks for adapted, cautious driving.
The experts used the opportunity of the site visit to point out the increasing problem of landslides. The background to this is, on the one hand, the increase in heavy rainfall events in recent years. On the other hand, forest damage as a result of the extreme drought, especially in 2018 and 2019, contributes to the development. An increasing number of dead trees had to be removed from embankment areas along district roads. However, only healthy trees with their intact root system can hold the soil together on the embankments. Further damage such as on the K 38 is potentially to be expected.