KS Associates is on a team with Environmental Design Group, LLC (EDG) to provide surveying and coastal engineering services for the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) District 4 ATB SR 0531 13.20 project in Ashtabula County, Ohio. Erosion from Lake Erie wave action is destabilizing the bluffs along areas of SR-531, placing the roadway at risk.
The team first performed a Feasibility Study to identify locations of significant bluff erosion. The team prioritized the eroding areas of the bluff from greatest to least risk of impacting the roadway.
Initially, KS Associates’ role was to perform surveys to monitor slope movement at key points along the route. The surveys commenced in October 2022. In December 2022, the project quickly escalated into an emergency repair when a section of the bluff eroded rapidly forcing ODOT to close the route. In response, KS Associates mobilized three survey crews to gather topographic information that could quickly be used to design and construct a temporary sheet pile wall to protect the roadway. Surveyors utilized a 3D laser scanner to safely gather survey data on the actively moving portions of the bluff.
During the design phase, the team was tasked with designing a revetment to protect the shoreline. KS Associates advanced surveys to cover 5,000 feet of roadway and shoreline using a combination of 3D laser scanning, hydrographic surveying, topographic surveying and Right-of-Way re-establishment.
KS Coastal Engineers are advising the team on coastal conditions, assisting with the design of the revetment, and managing regulatory requirements. This includes obtaining permits from the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (OEPA).
