Riverwalk work resumes

Work began yesterday on repairing the section of the retaining wall on the west bank of the Winnipesaukee River that collapsed during construction of the riverwalk.

Director of Public Works Paul Moynihan said that reconstruction of the retaining wall is scheduled to be completed by the end of the week, after which the remaining stretch of the riverwalk will be paved and the surrounding lawn curbed and sodded. "As long as the fine weather holds and we don't run into unforeseen problems, we should complete the project before winter," he said.

Rick Segalini, superintendent for Busby Construction Company, expected that the remaining work would take two to three weeks, including the week shortened by the Thanksgiving holiday. He said that Bob Fay of the Dam Bureau, who manages water levels throughout the Winnipesaukee River watershed, began lowering the river last Friday. "It is down about four feet," he said, explaining that the foundation for the retaining wall has been excavated and prepared for the masonry work, which was scheduled to begin today.

Segalini said that the granite blocks that toppled into the river when the wall failed under the weight of heavy machinery would be put back into place.

"We have a five day window to the work," Segalini said, "before they begin raising the water level." He said that by the end of the week, " the water may be chasing us," as the river is returned to its normal height. "We are right where we want to be," he stressed. "Right on schedule."