MARTINS FERRY — Work is underway to fix Bruney Alley — a small road damaged during heavy flooding and storms back in February.

Martins Ferry Service Superintendent Chris Cleary said Border Patrol Construction of Richmond is conducting the work that includes installation of a new larger stormwater pipe to control the flow of water coming off the hillside in the area.

Last February, a major storm that caused damaged across the region, also caused a usually quiet stream to wreck Bruney Alley.

Most of the alley was virtually destroyed by the massive amount of water coming down the small creek there. It tore through a large section of the road, exposing an underground stormwater pipe.

Residents who use the alleyway — which is located off Cemetery Road near the Jaycee Manor apartments — to reach the rears of homes have not been able to use it since.

While the project is expected to receive Federal Emergency Management Agency funding, Cleary said Martins Ferry City Council in March approved spending up to $26,787 from its Permanent Improvement fund to get the project started sooner. The city had been waiting for Border Patrol to finish another job before starting Bruney Alley.

“The culvert section is being connected this week,” Cleary said. “There is also damage to a wall up there, our wall, the concrete part — it kind of looks like Lincoln Logs. It holds up that part of the alley. The water kicked out a couple pieces.”

Cleary said the city still is in the paperwork stage to receive funding from FEMA. An inspector checked out the site nearly two weeks ago.

Cleary said in addition to the stormwater pipe, the alley also will receive new layers of gravel.

He said because it was not already a paved road FEMA will not cover the cost of pavement.

Cleary is confident the new stormwater pipe will keep the flow of water under control there in the future.

“I can’t say it will never flood again,” he added. “That storm hit us bad.”

Meanwhile, work to install a 200-foot-long piling wall on North Eighth Street nearly is finished. A section of the road collapsed two years ago.

Since then, the city had been working to secure funding for the $600,000 project. The job is being conducted by Ohio-W.Va. Excavating.

“It looks remarkable,” Cleary said.

During Wednesday’s Martins Ferry City Council meeting, Mayor Robert Krajnyak said all that remains to be done is the installation of new handrails on two new sets of concrete steps. Afterward, that section of road can re-open to traffic.