UPDATE: (12:41 P.M. Aug. 11, 2022) – The West Virginia Division of Highways says they will need to replace the culvert and the pipe is too damaged to reuse. Crews say they are waiting for the right sized pipe to put in, and are hoping it will arrive this afternoon.
Crews say Martin’s Branch Road could be reopened as early as tonight, but it will possibly be morning before they are able to reopen the roadway.
KANAWHA COUNTY, WV (WOWK) – Construction is underway to repair a portion of Martin’s Branch Road, or WV 622, between Sissonville and Charleston. The damaged road is near the intersection of Utah Hollow Road and Bragg Farm Road.
According to the West Virginia Division of Highways, a section of the roadway was damaged by a culvert washing out during flooding on Wednesday, Aug. 10. The DOH says because of the flood damage impacting the road, drivers should use another route until the repairs have been completed.
Officials say the flooding from storms also washed out culverts on Kelly’s Creek Road and Camp Virgil Tate Road, but both of those roads were repaired overnight and reopened.
“Our crews were on the scene last night and are there as well this morning,” said District 1 Maintenance Engineer, Kathy Rushworth, P.E., “We’ll have a pipe in there and the road reopened today, barring any unusual circumstances.” Crews on the scene removed debris on Wednesday, August 10, 2022 following localized flash flooding in several West Virginia counties.
The DOH says the damage on Martin’s Branch road was more extensive and requires a large excavator to dig out the damaged pipe. Crews say they plan to reuse the existing pipe if it is not to badly damaged. They say, due to the large size of the culvert pipe, this will allow them to repair the pipe and reopen the road faster.