Work is moving forward on a low-head dam on the Blackwater River where two people have died in the past two months.

Rocky Mount and Franklin County officials have hired Shively Construction to add rocks to the front of the dam to break the hydraulic cycle that can drown people who get caught up in it, said Scott Martin, director of commerce and leisure services for the county. The company will also cut a new portage, spots above and below the dam where people can safely exit and re-enter the river to avoid the dam. Signs are already present around the dam, warning people to exit the river.

Work will begin Monday and should take a week or two to complete, depending on water levels, Martin said.

The project will cost between $22,000 and $23,000, and the county and town are sharing the costs, said Town Manger James Ervin.

"This fix serves an immediate [safety] need but preserves any future options," he said.

On June 6, Chris Odum was wearing a life jacket when his canoe went over the dam. The 38-year-old Union Hall man got caught in the hydraulic cycle and drowned.

Jacqueline Mason, 21, of Ferrum, died in the same spot July 23, when her canoe went over the dam. Three others with her that night were able to escape. Mason was not wearing a life jacket.

In both cases, water levels on the river were elevated because of heavy rain, but the dam is dangerous no matter the water level, Martin said.

The dam is owned by the town as part of its water treatment operation. A similar low-head dam exists on the Pigg River, just south of the town. Martin has presented several options for that dam including similar work to disrupt the hydraulic cycle or to remove the dam.