Barrier Fence Repairs, Rock Removal Continue on W.Va. 2 – Wheeling Intelligencer

An excavator digs out rock debris last week from behind a barrier fence along W.Va. 2 near Glen Dale.

GLEN DALE West Virginia Division of Highways crews are continuing removing large boulders and debris and performing barrier fence repairs along the northbound side of W.Va. 2 between McMechen and Glen Dale when time permits, DOH District 6 Engineer Tony Clark said.

Along the stretch of highway known to local residents as the Narrows, motorists can expect the northbound section of highway to be narrowed to one lane possibly over the coming weeks or months, as heavy maintenance crews continue to make barrier fence repairs and remove large boulders and debris which accumulated over time between the fence and hillside, Clark said.

He said the reason there isnt a specific completion date set for the ongoing work at that location is the districts crews are performing the work in between other higher priority projects.

Its a situation where we have that lane closure set-up and theyre doing that work whenever they are able to but they get pulled to do special projects for a day and so and they are not able to work a solid five days a week on it, Clark explained. From everything else that weve got going on, thats a fairly low priority but its something that needs maintained so that debris doesnt make its way out onto Route 2, he added.

Clark said there were areas where rocks and debris was building-up along the hillside over time and causing damage to the barrier fence in some sections, so heavy maintenance crews began the rock removal several weeks ago in between higher priority projects.

Its not an emergency. I cant really have everybody (crews) there until its done. They are slowly working their way down trying to clear that debris and make repairs to that barrier. Were just trying to get as much done as we can whenever they have the opportunity to be there and work on it, he said.

Clark said crews are also replacing some pieces or parts of the barrier fence that has been damaged over time.

If theyre able to make repairs, then they make repairs, but if it requires the replacement of certain parts or pieces then we have those in stock, he added.

Clark said the DOH continues to keep the one-lane closure set up at all times because of the heavy equipment that is parked on the highway. He said it is just much more convenient to leave the equipment in place.

Weve got a lane closure set up. Traffic is moving through, and were not having traffic back ups or anything, so its not really that disruptive, Clark added.

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Barrier Fence Repairs, Rock Removal Continue on W.Va. 2 - Wheeling Intelligencer