Reestablishing a Travel Way

Reestablishing a Travel Way. Fredericksburg: Timeless.. , The many culverts along this railway were established during its construction, before the Civil War. Where the land is little altered, these drainage features remain intact and functional. Stormwater flowing off of new roads, rooftops, and parking lots, however, has overwhelmed others and the additional water has invariably cut its own path. In this location the rail embankment eroded away and attempted repairs with concrete were unsuccessful., When the historic stone culvert became blocked, this small creek established a new channel through this man-made barrier, exposing the old culvert to further damage. During trail construction, work crews placed a new concrete culvert alongside the historic culvert and then backfilled with gravel to cover it up. This work arrested the ongoing damage and stabilized the historic feature., (captions) , Though increased stormwater from modern development has caused some of the original stone culverts to collapse, many others remain intact along this historic railway. Their natural material blends into the landscape., During trail construction, workers carefully encapsulated the historic stone culvert. The old rails sticking out of the concrete encasing part of the historic culvert are visible above the red gas can., An early attempt to encase the old culvert in concrete proved futile. Same old rails were used as reinforcement and are visible across the trail to your right., When the original culvert became blocked, the persistent power of water forced its way through the rail embankment. Remnants of the stone culvert, since covered over, are visible on the right. View is looking toward Hazel Run.