LYNCHBURG, VA – A construction site in Lynchburg became a muddy mess Tuesday after part of a retaining wall collapsed, following heavy rain in the area.
Campbell County officials confirmed the incident occurred at a Centra development site on Simon’s Run. They say there is no threat to the public.
Still, nearby residents expressed concern.
“To see it undermined at the bottom and just collapse out that way, and see it tumbling down is just like, ‘what happened?’” Kathy Oldfield said.
Oldfield was driving past the site with Robert Hermsen when they saw the wall in pieces.
“Who’s responsible?” Hermsen asked.
The site is still under construction, and according to county officials, the contractor was told back in March that permits were required for the work.
Oldfield and Hermsen say they’re frustrated that more wasn’t done to safeguard the area, particularly during what they described as the region’s predictable rainy season.
“You’ve just got to be prepared for the flood because it’s our rainy season,” Oldfield said. “Every year we go through this shock of ‘oh my god, it’s raining for five days’ when it happens every year. It’s like, we know it’s coming—build safeguards into it.”
Oldfield added that she wants more transparency about how the wall will be repaired and how similar incidents will be prevented in the future.
“Investigate, figure out what’s going on and how you’re going to redesign it more safely and let the public know about it,” she said. “Because we’re always going to wonder, what did they do to fix it?”
County environmental staff have been on-site and are working with the contractor to prevent further impacts.
Centra said the construction team is addressing the issue and that they do not expect the incident to delay the opening of the new facilities.
