HINTON, WV (LOOTPRESS) – Temporary traffic changes are on the horizon in the Hinton area in the coming days as local government hopes to bring a conclusion to travel issues brought about by a recent culvert collapse.
The City of Hinton issued notice Wednesday afternoon that the West Virginia Division of Highways will be closing the road at 17th and Temple Street on Friday, November 18, 2022 at 7:00am.
This change will remain in effect until Monday, November 21, 2022 at 7:00am to allot sufficient time for the planned installation of a steel bridge.
The bridge, the city says, will remain in place until such a time that repairs can safely be conducted within the area and a new culvert can see installation.
The culvert issue has been ongoing in Hinton throughout the month of November, with the situation having been exacerbated by recent rainfall in the area.
The area has seen frequent monitoring by the state, with the entity having decided it best to close off the former drainage culvert entirely and construct a replacement.
“This is an extremely important issue for us and we have been in contact with state highway officials since it happened,” read a Monday statement from the City of Hinton.
Subsequent updates from Hinton Mayor Jack Scott confirmed the deteriorating condition of the structure, imploring motorists and pedestrians alike to avoid the area altogether unless absolutely necessary.
Core drilling tests conducted by the Division of Highways in order to evaluate the suitability of surrounding soil for rerouting of the drainage system.
These tests revealed, however, that the layers of fill l and top soil contained contamination, which necessitated reporting to the EPA.
Additionally, a gas line running across the Temple Street collapse area was exposed in the wake of the collapse, creating a potentially dangerous situation for those nearby.
Fortunately, the city has confirmed that the exposed gas line was bypassed and taken out of service a short time after the initial cave-in, and has been safely de-energized.
LOOTPRESS will continue to provide updates on the situation as information becomes available.
Additional LOOTPRESS coverage for the City of Hinton can be found here.
