Sewickley Hills Resident Battles PennDOT Over Unfixed Driveway After Landslide

Don King says his driveway remains unusable after multiple failed repair attempts by state transportation officials.

Mar. 31, 2026 at 12:07am

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A vast, atmospheric landscape painting depicting a winding driveway obscured by a dramatic, mountainous hillside, conveying the overwhelming scale and danger of a natural disaster.A landslide-scarred hillside looms over a beleaguered homeowner's driveway, underscoring the power of nature and the challenges of infrastructure repair.Sewickley Hills Today

A Sewickley Hills, Pennsylvania resident named Don King says his driveway has been left in disrepair for over two years after a landslide damaged the road and driveway, forcing PennDOT to attempt multiple fixes that have all failed. King is now pushing PennDOT to use reinforced concrete pins to properly stabilize the driveway, but so far the state agency has been unable to resolve the issue.

Why it matters

This case highlights the challenges homeowners can face when natural disasters damage critical infrastructure like roads and driveways, and the difficulties in getting government agencies to properly address the problems. It also raises questions about PennDOT's engineering capabilities and the need for better landslide insurance options for residents in high-risk areas.

The details

After a landslide washed away the street in front of his home, Fern Hollow Road, PennDOT came in to fix the road. However, in the process of repairing the road, PennDOT removed King's driveway and has since attempted three separate times to replace it, but the driveway continues to crack and slip further down the hillside every time it rains. King says the only way he can access his home now is by using a narrow, muddy access road on his neighbor's property, which poses safety concerns, especially for emergency vehicles.

  • The landslide that damaged Fern Hollow Road and King's driveway occurred over 2 years ago.
  • PennDOT last attempted to fix King's driveway in January 2026.

The players

Don King

A Sewickley Hills resident whose driveway was damaged in a landslide and has not been properly repaired by PennDOT despite multiple attempts.

PennDOT

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, the state agency responsible for maintaining roads and infrastructure, including King's damaged driveway.

Valerie Gaydos

King's local state representative who is pushing for a state fund to provide landslide insurance to municipalities and individuals in high-risk areas.

Fern Hollow Nature Center

A local nature center that uses King's property and lake for summer programs and field trips, which are now threatened by the lack of driveway access.

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What they’re saying

“I've been patient for two years as this has all been going on, didn't raise my concerns, didn't cause any problems. At this point, I felt I needed to push as many buttons as I could to get this resolved.”

— Don King

“We have no entrance to get emergency vehicles of any kind.”

— Don King

“What they did after that is take all the rock that they had dug out, which was hundreds of tons, and made my driveway on top of a slide without any type of retention.”

— Don King

“Both municipalities and individuals can buy into this if they're in landslide-prone areas, and it works just like an insurance fund. Right now, you cannot get landslide insurance from your regular insurance companies.”

— Valerie Gaydos, State Representative

What’s next

King hopes that continued pressure on PennDOT will lead the agency to properly stabilize his driveway using reinforced concrete pins, the same method used to fix Fern Hollow Road. Meanwhile, Gaydos is pushing for the state to create a landslide insurance fund to help residents in high-risk areas like Sewickley Hills.

The takeaway

This case highlights the challenges homeowners can face when natural disasters damage critical infrastructure, and the difficulties in getting government agencies to effectively address these problems. It also underscores the need for better insurance options and engineering solutions to protect residents in landslide-prone areas.