UPDATE: This article was updated to reflect new information from Hanover County Fire-EMS and the Hanover County Sheriff’s Office.
HANOVER COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — Hanover County officials have discovered potential instability in the Mattawan Dam, resulting in the emergency closure of sections of surrounding road until further notice.
According to Hanover County Fire-EMS, officials have identified “potential compromises in the integrity of the Mattawan Dam,” which is located on Pine Slash Road.
According to the Hanover County Sheriff’s Office, as of about 9 p.m. Tuesday, deputies are actively going door-to-door to inform area residents of the situation. Hanover County Public Schools has also been notified, so that the division may make alternative arrangements for impacted bus routes.
Efforts to lower the lake’s water level are being made utilizing pumps, which will ideally prevent the dam’s condition from worsening, according to officials.
“You may see an increased water flow throughout Totopotomy Creek,” the Hanover Fire-EMS release reads.
Pine Slash Road at the Mattawan Dam, as well as Williamsville Road between Pole Green Road and Studley Road, were closed beginning at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, March 5. These sections of road will remain that way until further notice.
Drivers should use the following detour when navigating Williamsville Road, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT):
- From Williamsville Road, take Pole Green Road to Rural Point Road. Then take Rural Point Road to Studley Road, then back onto Williamsville Road.
A detour for Pine Slash Road was not provided as of the time of reporting.
“We understand the inconvenience this will cause and assure you we did so out of concern for the public’s safety,” the sheriff’s office said in a release. “More information will follow as it becomes available.”
This is a developing story, stay with 8News for updates.
