Question: “Why is St. Matthews Church Road still closed after two years or more?”
—Linda Beaver

Answer: Right now, the only thing DOT engineers know is the road is weakening away at its base.
According to Chris Corriher, the transportation department’s district engineer, St. Matthews Church Road over High Rock Lake is closed because it is being undermined.
The cause of the problem is still unknown.
Corriher said DOT has an agreement with Alcoa stipulating Alcoa will lower the lake down to a level where DOT engineers can look at the causeway and see what is causing the road to deteriorate.
DOT then will take steps to make repairs.
Although the cause of the road’s deterioration is a mystery, Corriher said answers are coming this fall once Alcoa steps in to lower the lake.