Staunton staff outline tunnel repairs at the Wharf, advertise bids; council asks fuller daylighting study

City staff provided a detailed update Sept. 25 on repairs to three damaged tunnel sections beneath the Wharf parking area and discussed longer-term daylighting and flood-mitigation options.

Public-works staff described current design work, core-sampling and permitting steps, and said construction bidding documents are being finalized. Lyle (Public Works staff) said the city expects to advertise the tunnel-repair construction contract “in a couple weeks,” with bids opening in November and a hoped-for construction contract award before the end of 2025 so work could begin as early as January 2026. The initial repairs target three areas beneath Byer Street, Johnson Street and South New Street, where delamination, spalling and rebar corrosion were identified in earlier surveys.

Lyle said the repairs use a top-down excavation approach. At Byer and Johnson streets the plan is to remove and replace tunnel walls and roof sections with reinforced concrete and, where possible, install prefabricated U-shaped concrete sections to limit…