Workers for Triton Construction Inc., assisted by the West Virginia Division of Highways (WVDOH), worked through the night to reopen one westbound lane of Interstate 64 after a tractor-trailer damaged the contraflow lane near the Huntington Mall late Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2022.
The truck was hauling a large earthmoving machine when it hit the barrier wall.
The truck continued to move forward after striking the barrier wall, doing considerable damage to the concrete slabs that make up the wall.
Good cooperation between Triton Construction and the WVDOH allowed the damaged sections of barrier wall to be repaired or replaced quickly.
“When an incident happens, we work hand-in-hand with the contractors,” said WVDOH District 2 Engineer Rob Pennington, P.E.
The tractor-trailer damaged barrier wall slabs on two different bridges, requiring each individual slab to be inspected before being repaired or replaced. While both eastbound lanes and one westbound lane of the interstate remained open during repair work, Pennington said Triton worked through the night to open the one remaining closed lane.
The barrier wall on one bridge was repaired during the afternoon and evening of Thursday, Sept. 1, 2022, allowing part of the closed lane to open late Thursday. The remaining section of interstate opened about 9 a.m. Friday, Sept. 2, 2022.
Ordinarily, the WVDOH would have left the repairs to the contractor. But Pennington said WVDOH crews continued to work with Triton Construction overnight to help move sections of barrier wall and bring in new pieces.
“We wanted to get that section of interstate open as quickly as we could to minimize the impact on the traveling public,” Pennington said.
