FAIRMONT, W.Va. — A high-visibility hillside construction project on U.S. Route 250 in Fairmont is on track for completion next spring.
Work on the Holbert Road rockfall protection project between Muriel’s Kitchen and Wood’s Boat House began last spring.
Interim District 4 Engineer Mike Daley said a switch is coming soon of the one lane controlled by traffic lights.
“We’re getting ready to transfer a single lane to the opposite side of the road, which is what we call the hillside, for the traveling public it will be the north side of the road, so we can do some repairs down by the river,” Daley said.
In addition to rockfall repairs, Daley said contractors are properly sizing the storm drainage system around the area. Adequate drainage will preserve the work on top of the slope and prevent intermittent closures due to falling debris, he said.
“We’ve got to mitigate different drainage structures to be able to handle the runoff that we have to be able exhaust that out into the river properly.”
The work has included removing the existing hillside and replace it with more stable material and a combination of concrete and other specialized methods to secure hillside.
“We have what we call “rock blankets” that stabilize against the bank to secure this and hold it in place to prevent it from coming down into the roadway,” Daley said.
Prior to the project that section of road had to be closed or restricted and crews were required to mobilize equipment to clear debris from the road and clear the hillside. The problems have persisted for several years creating hazards and delays for motorists, Daley said.
“We’ll have to wait until the spring of 2023 to go in and do the overlay and final asphalt work and preparation to finish the project,” Daley said.
An alternate route around the work zone is Holbert Road, I-79 and Shirlane Avenue to Warren Road.