Anyone standing on the southern bank of the Jackson River adjacent to Verge St. can view the river flowing freely now that the cofferdam has served its purpose.
At first, half of the Jackson River was blocked on its southern side by a cofferdam that enabled workers to bury a pipeline halfway across the river.
The project that fell three months behind its target date for completion recently featured workers burying the pipe on the northern side of the river via another cofferdam that enabled the northern portion of the pipeline to be connected to the southern part.
Ironically, cofferdams are not built to hold back entire bodies of water, but rather hold back part of the flow of water in order to separate the water from land which allows pipes to be buried.
Once the southern half of the pipeline was buried, the southern part of the cofferdam was removed, and a cofferdam was constructed on the northern side of the river, allowing the two pipes to be connected under the riverbed.
Delays in the project that is now in the cleanup phase were caused by unfavorable weather and the delay in the delivery of materials.
Clifton Forge Town Manager Chuck Unroe has conveyed that he will soon release a report about the completion of the project.
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