With the summer construction season well underway, the West Virginia Division of Highways (WVDOH) continues to repair slips and slides throughout the Mountain State.
Gov. Jim Justice and Transportation Secretary Jimmy Wriston, P.E., have placed a special emphasis on taking care of the state’s secondary roads and making the WVDOH a true maintenance organization, not just building and paving roads and bridges but taking care of them so they will last as long as possible for the people of West Virginia. Tracking, monitoring and repairing slides on roads is part of that process.
“Every slide we see is a little different,” said WVDOH District 2 Engineer Rob Pennington, P.E. “We use a similar approach to evaluate each one and determine the best method to correct it.”
On McComas Road and 4-H Camp Road in Cabell County contractors are using soil nails to stabilize two slides as part of the WVDOH continuing maintenance program. To properly fix a slip or slide, WVDOH must evaluate each area for the most cost-effective solution which will function long term, providing the best value to taxpayers while keeping them safe on the roads. This evaluation takes time, but ensures that the project goes smoothly once on the ground construction begins.
Depending on how serious a slide is, Pennington said it could take anywhere from a couple of weeks to a few months to design a project to correct it. One option is building a piling wall – basically a concrete retaining wall secured by steel beams sunk deep into the ground – to stop the earth from moving underneath a road.
On McComas Road, designers chose to address the slide with soil nails, because utilities located alongside the road would have made it difficult to sink steel pilings. |
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“Soil nails are more like an anchoring system,” Pennington said. “They go underneath the road.”
Soil nails look like long steel bolts that are driven horizontally under a road to tie into rock and keep the earth from shifting. “It may be two or three rows of 50 soil nails,” Pennington said. “It depends on the particular site how many they have to use.”
Contractors are also installing soil nails at a slide on nearby 4-H Camp Road.
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In all, the WVDOH has completed more than 100 slide repair projects so far in 2023, with another 59 under construction or scheduled:
Completed slide projects in 2023:
(Wayne) Buffalo Creek soil nail project, completed March 9, 2023.
(Mingo) Jennies Creek Road soil nail project, completed March 16, 2023.
(Cabell) Madison Creek Road soil nail project, completed April 4, 2023.
(Wayne) US 152 soil nail project, completed April 13, 2023.
(Lincoln) Garretts Bend soil nail project, completed May 16, 2023.
(Wayne) Haynes Branch Road soil nail project number one, completed June 5, 2023.
(Wayne) Haynes Branch Road soil nail project number two, completed June 6, 2023.
(Cabell) Overby Road soil nail project, completed June 16, 2023.
(Kanawha) Airport Road piling wall, completed March 6, 2023.
(Clay) Ivydale Ridge piling wall, completed Feb. 22, 2023.
(Kanawha) Coal River Road piling wall, completed May 3, 2023.
(Boone) Prenter Road piling wall, completed May 17, 2023.
(Kanawha) Paint Creek piling wall, completed May 31, 2023.
(Kanawha) Grapevine Road piling wall, completed July 7, 2023.
(Clay) Dog Run Road piling wall number one, completed July 17, 2023.
(Clay) Dog Run Road piling wall number two, completed July 21, 2023.
(Kanawha) Sanderson Road piling wall, completed August 11, 2023.
(Mason) Waterloo Smith Church piling wall, completed June 9, 2023.
(Putnam) Poca River Road soil nail project, completed May 18, 2023.
(Boone) Pond Fork Road soil nail project, completed May 15, 2023.
(Marshall) Caldwell Hill piling wall project, completed March 10, 2023.
(Marshall) Dry Ridge piling wall, completed March 23, 2023.
(Ohio) Grimes Ridge piling wall, completed April 27, 2023.
(Brooke) Buffalo Road piling wall, completed April 26, 2023.
(Marshall) McCosh Lane piling wall, completed June 15, 2023.
(Marshall) Valley Run Road piling wall, completed June 29, 2023.
(Mineral) Veterans Memorial Highway soil nail project, completed May 28, 2023.
(McDowell) 15 slide repair projects on Anawalt Ridge Road including nine piling walls and six soil nail projects. All work completed by July 18, 2023.
(Mercer) Brush Creek Falls Road piling wall, completed March 29, 2023.
(McDowell) Havaco-Wilcoe soil nail project, completed February 17, 2023.
(McDowell) Bull Creek Road soil nail project, completed June 8, 2023.
(McDowell) Three piling walls on Skygusty Highway, completed May 2023.
(Mercer) Falls Mills Road piling wall, completed February 11, 2023.
(Raleigh) Hensley Mountain Road soil nail project, completed May 19, 2023.
(McDowell) Yukon-English piling wall, completed August 4, 2023.
(Mercer) Bluecort Road soil nail project, completed July 14, 2023.
(Wyoming) Lillydale-Oceana soil nail project, July 31, 2023.
(Wyoming) Logan-Campus soil nail project, completed July 24, 2023.
(Monongalia) Jakes Run soil nail project, completed Jan. 7, 2023.
(Monongalia) Crossroads MP 1.42 soil nail project, completed March 21, 2023.
(Monongalia) Crossroads MP 1.49 soil nail project, completed April 22, 2023.
(Monongalia) Crossroads MP 2.26 soil nail project, completed March 10, 2023.
(Doddridge) Dis Debar soil nail project, completed June 8, 2023.
(Marion) Finches soil nail project, completed April 12, 2023.
(Preston) George Washington slip soil nail project number one through six, completed June 13-26, 2023.
(Preston) Herm Criss Road slip number one soil nail project, completed Feb. 22, 2023.
(Preston) Herm Criss Road slip number two soil nail project, completed Feb. 20, 2023.
(Taylor) Knottsville MP .69 soil nail project, completed March 27, 2023.
(Harrison) Lake Floyd Circle soil nail project, completed June 8, 2023.
(Harrison) Locust Drive Slide soil nail project, completed Feb. 20, 2023.
(Marion) Manley Chapel MP .94 soil nail project, completed April 24, 2023.
(Monongalia) WV 7 MP .34 soil nail project, completed Feb. 20, 2023.
(Doddridge) Meathouse Fork soil nail projects one through eight, completed March 2-June 7, 2023.
(Harrison) Nutter Fort MP 12.34 soil nail project, completed May 9, 2023.
(Marion) Pine Grove MP 7.20 soil nail project, completed March 14, 2023.
(Marion) Pine Grove MP 7.22 soil nail project, completed March 23, 2023.
(Harrison) Pumpkin Farm MP 7.44 soil nail project, completed April 21, 2023.
(Harrison) Rail Trail soil nail project, completed June 8, 2023.
(Taylor) Riverside Drive MP 1.55 soil nail project, completed March 10, 2023.
(Preston) St. Joe Road MP 2.39 soil nail project, completed June 21, 2023.
(Harrison) Stonewood MP 10.53 soil nail project, completed April 12, 2023.
(Monongalia) Upper Days Run Road soil nail project, completed March 23, 2023.
(Taylor) US 119 MP 12.26 soil nail project, completed March 1, 2023.
(Preston) US 50 MP 19.74 soil nail project, completed March 29, 2023.
(Preston) US 50 MP 20.87 soil nail project, completed March 29, 2023.
(Preston) US 50 MP 21.06 soil nail project, completed April 8, 2023.
(Preston) US 50 MP 21.10 soil nail project, completed April 15, 2023.
(Monongalia) Wadestown MP 2.4 soil nail project, completed Feb. 15, 2023.
(Preston) Jim Boylard Road soil nail project, completed Feb. 17, 2023.
(Doddridge) Wilhelm Road MP 0.60 soil nail project, completed Jan. 28, 2023.
(Doddridge) Wilhelm Road MP 1.07 soil nail project, completed Jan. 24, 2023.
(Harrison) Wilsonburg Road soil nail project, completed Feb. 3, 2023.
(Preston) WV 26 MP 22.36 soil nail project, completed March 21, 2023.
(Monongalia) WV 218 MP 7.44 soil nail project, completed Jan. 13, 2023.
(Harrison) Lake House soil nail project, completed July 31, 2023.
(Wood) Corbitt Hill-Waverly, WV 2, soil nail project, completed July 10, 2023.
(Pleasants) Mckim Road-Federal Ridge soil nail project, completed July 18, 2023.
(Roane) Reedy-Billings Road soil anil project, completed August 10, 2023.
(Ritchie) Straight Fork-Cox Run soil nail project, completed July 24, 2023.
(Roane) Barrcutt Road piling wall, completed February 27, 2023.
(Calhoun) Big Springs-Ritchie piling wall, completed February 17, 2023.
(Jackson) Sidneyville-Pleasantsville piling wall, completed March 2, 2023.
(Jackson) Ravenswood Pike Road piling wall, completed March 9, 2023.
(Wood) Salusbury-Mineral Wells soil nail project, completed April 3, 2023.
(Wirt) Two Runs-Palestine Road piling wall, completed February 15, 2023.
(Braxton) Herald Road piling wall, completed January 11, 2023.
(Gilmer) Steer Run Road piling wall, completed January 10, 2023.
(Lewis) Buckhannon Mountain Road piling wall, completed January 23, 2023.
(Lewis) Hackers Creek Road piling wall, completed February 1, 2023.
(Braxton) Chapel Road piling wall, completed March 31, 2023.
(Braxton) Scotts Fork Road piling wall, completed May 5, 2023.
(Braxton) Exchange Road piling wall, completed June 28, 2023.
(Webster) Replete Road piling wall, completed July 27, 2023.
(Barbour) Claude Run Road, piling wall, completed August 11, 2023.
(Summers) Meadow Creek Road piling wall, completed January 27, 2023.
(Greenbrier) Alta Slip #1 soil nail project, completed April 26, 2023.
(Fayette) Cotton Hill Road piling wall, completed April 21, 2023.
(Nicholas) Tioga Road piling wall, completed May 15, 2023.
(Wood) Deerwalk-Volcano, US 50, soil nail project, completed August 18, 2023.
(Calhoun) South Calhoun Highway soil nail project, completed August 17, 2023.
(Jackson) Southhall Ridge Road soil nail project, completed August 21, 2023.
(Wetzel) Wiley Fork piling wall, completed August 18, 2023.
(McDowell) Welch-Gary piling wall, completed August 10, 2023.
(Mercer) Old Matoaka Road soil nail project, completed August August 15, 2023.
Slide repairs under construction or scheduled for work in the next few months:
(Wayne) WV 152 piling wall.
(Wayne) WV 152 basket wall.
(Wayne) Buffalo Creek Road soil nail project.
(Cabell) McComas Road soil nail project.
(Logan) Main Smokehouse Road soil nail project.
(Cabell) Booten Creek Road soil nail project.
(Cabell) Prichard Road soil nail project.
(Cabell) Four Pole Road piling wall.
(Wayne) Greenbrier Creek Road piling wall.
(Lincoln) Lower Big Creek piling wall.
(Logan) Rum Creek Road piling wall.
(Wayne) Big Sandy River Road piling wall.
(Putnam) Obidiah Lane soil nail project.
(Kanawha) Frogs Creek piling wall.
(Kanawha) Shady Ridge Road piling wall number one.
(Kanawha) Upper Falls piling wall.
(Putnam) Teays Lane piling wall.
(Wetzel) Childs Slip soil nail project.
(Tyler) Indian Creek soil nail project.
(Wetzel) Long Point soil nail project.
(Jefferson) US 340 Rock Slide Investigation soil nail project.
(Jefferson) Chestnut Hill Road soil nail project.
(McDowell) Yukon Substation piling wall.
(McDowell) Panther-Mohawk Road piling wall.
(McDowell) Belcher Mountain Road piling wall.
(McDowell) Cucumber Creek Road soil nail project.
(Mercer) Two piling walls on Ada-Ingleside Road.
(Mercer) Cheesy Creek Road piling wall.
(Mercer) Rock Road soil nail project.
(Mercer) Sandlick Road piling wall.
(Mercer) East End Slip soil nail project.
(Mercer) Old Bramwell Road soil nail project.
(Raleigh) Tommy Creek Road piling wall.
(Mercer) Rock Road piling wall.
(McDowell) Premier-Welch piling wall.
(McDowell) Atwell Branch Road soil nail project.
(Doddridge) Jockeycamp soil nail project.
(Doddridge) Berverlin Fork soil nail project.
(Doddridge) Harmony Road soil nail project.
(Doddridge) Meathouse Fork MP 1.50 soil nail project.
(Doddridge) Meathouse Fork MP 7.62 soil nail project.
(Harrison) US 19 MP 5.85 soil nail project.
(Doddridge) Brushy Fork soil nail project.
(Taylor) Veteran’s Memorial MP 3.60 soil nail project.
(Preston) Red Rock soil nail project.
(Preston) North Preston Highway soil nail project.
(Marion) Crossroads to Fairview soil nail project.
(Monongalia) WV 7 MP 6.91 soil nail project.
(Marion) Four State soil nail project.
(Pleasants) Vaucluse Narrows, WV 2, soil nail project.
(Wood) Waverly-Williamstown soil nail project.
(Lewis) Vadis Road piling wall.
(Gilmer) Cox’s Mills-Auburn Road piling wall.
(Braxton) Scotts Fork Road piling wall.
(Lewis) Vandalia-Georgetown Road piling wall.
(Webster) Bolair-Webster Spring Road piling wall.
(Gilmer) Sliding Run Road piling wall.
(Pendleton) US 33, MP 1.43, piling wall.
(Summers) Swell Mountain Road soil nail project.
