WVDOH begins work on ‘ridiculous’ pothole in Monongalia County

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (WBOY) — After years of frustration and uncertainty over a ‘ridiculous’ pothole that disrupted school bus routes and frequently flooded, residents of Owl Creek Road in Monongalia County were relieved to see the West Virginia Division of Highways (WVDOH) begin work on repairs.

“They’re definitely taking care of it, I’m pleased with that, very much. It’s terrible that had to get the news involved to get it done but I’ve been trying since 2020 to get, you know, some stuff done on this road,” resident and business owner Sue Fleming said.

Since 12 News’ story covering the pothole aired, the WVDOH has begun work on removing the standing water in the hole and replacing the culverts. When work began, there was general excitement from residents who were relieved to see workers begin repairs on the hole. However, many residents still said they would like to see the rest of the potholes on their roads fixed.

“And hopefully in the near future that we will be able to get, you know, some paving done, potholes fixed, you know, the culverts cleaned out,” said Fleming.

Fleming and her family own Owl Creek Contracting and Owl Creek Coatings, and told 12 News that their business had been greatly affected by the road’s condition.

“This road is horrendous so everything on this road has affected, you know, the ability—we don’t even want to ask customers to come here at all. So if we have designs we want to go over and sit down in my office and go over things, we’ve been avoiding that, we don’t wanna have people come down here,” Fleming said.

Owl Creek Coatings is a new business for the Flemings that they want to continue to grow, but they said the road has made it an obstacle. “We wanna build it bigger but it’s also, you know, you have to tell them where you live and you know, give them directions, and it’s a little embarrassing.”

12 News reached out to the WVDOH for an update on the road’s construction and if it had any plans to fix the remaining potholes. The WVDOH issued a response which said in part:

“WVDOH is patching all of the potholes, statewide, including Owl Creek Road. There is also ditching planned, and additional culvert repairs on Owl Creek Road, which are moving through the permit process cooperatively with WVDEP.“

12 News will continue to follow this story as it develops.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WBOY.com.