CHARLESTON, W.Va. – It’s been a month of non-stop work for the West Virginia Division of Highways and crews were back at it again Wednesday. Heavy rainfall Tuesday evening into Wednesday morning created some dangerous conditions.
“We’ve been hit with some minor mud and rock slides, we’ve had trees down taking down power lines and then we’ve just had water over the roadways,” according to Carrie Bly, a spokesperson with the DOH.
A major rock slide took place on I-79 just south of the Mink Shoals exit in Kanawha County Wednesday morning. A boulder came tumbling down the hillside and landed in the middle of the southbound slow lane.
Bob Redman was heading south on I-79 when he made a quick stop.
“It looks like a huge boulder!”
No one was injured but it took out the guardrail and forced the closure of at least one southbound lane.
Bly said they were expecting this kind of incident because of the recent weather.
“You have things thawing out and you put rain on top of that, of course it’s going to come right down the hillsides and on to our roads.”
High water that crested Wednesday morning receded quickly but it’s left behind debris, in the roads. Then there’s the pot holes. Bly stressed the crews can’t catch a break.
“As soon as they get off shift from snow removal and hop out of the plows, then they’re getting in the maintenance vehicles and going out and patching potholes,” she said.
She praised the crews for all they’re doing to keep the roads passable.
“They’re not getting a break. They’re working 12-hour shifts,” according to Bly. “They’re doing the best they can.”
Bly said they’re hoping for a milder rest of the winter.