WVDOH fills in massive sinkhole in Hinton

West Virginia Division of Highways (WVDOH) work crews have filled in a massive sinkhole along WV 20 in Hinton in preparation for permanent repairs in the spring.

In June, a sinkhole about six feet wide and about 30 feet deep opened on WV 20 next to the Hinton police station. A 90-year-old drain under the road began failing, leading to the collapse.

WVDOH work crews installed a 120-foot temporary culvert and fill material under the road, but heavy rains from Hurricane Nicole on Friday, Nov. 11, 2022, washed out the fill and made the sinkhole worse.

In a two-day construction blitz, WVDOH bridge crews installed a temporary bridge beside the massive sinkhole to divert traffic away from the hole while temporary repairs were made.

WVDOH District 9 Engineer Jim Moore, P.E., said crews were able to install a new, temporary drainage pipe inside the old structure. Beginning Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2023, crews began filling in the massive sinkhole with about 2,500 cubic yards of fill material. That’s almost enough to fill an Olympic size swimming pool.

Work crews will now top the 2,500 cubic yards of fill with gravel and stone and grade the surface flat to get ready for permanent repairs in the spring. The temporary bridge will remain in place until then.

WVDOH fills in massive sinkhole in Hinton

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