WSAZ Investigates | WVDOH responds to Salt Rock bridge in disrepair, road concerns

CABELL COUNTY, W.Va. (WSAZ) – What a difference a day can make, but is the work being done a real fix? Or just tape over an issue needing significant repairs in Cabell County?

Jan Hite King reached out to WSAZ with concerns about roads and bridges in her community. That story Thursday prompted action by the West Virginia Division of Highways.

When King spoke to WSAZ’s Kim Rafferty, she showed large cracks in the asphalt on McComas Road in the Salt Rock area.

Early Friday morning, DOH crews were out patching the road with a new coat of asphalt.

“It is kind of amazing they started early this morning,” King said.

Hours later, King showed a picture of the newly resurfaced road where cracks were already forming in the holes that had not been filled in.

King also pointed out a bridge with two gaping holes deteriorating underneath. Lower Trace Fork Bridge is one of three along the road that the DOH said was scheduled for construction in 2020.

No crews were working on the bridge Thursday. By Friday, though, utility services could be seen moving power lines over. On-scene crews said they were moving the lines to make way for a temporary bridge while the new one is being built.

When WSAZ asked the DOH about when emergency repairs would be made and when the bridge was last inspected, those questions were not answered by the DOH spokesperson.

The state agency gave little information about the bridges. A spokesperson from the DOH said in part:

WSAZ also asked about the bridge, including when that last inspection was, what was the outcome of the inspection, and when will construction be completed.

“It is amazing what we as neighbors could not accomplish in years has been accomplished in less than 24 hours by a news story on WSAZ, and to be frank about it, nobody should have to go to these efforts to get any kind of bridges repaired,” King said.

She said she does not trust the bridge a mile down the road from where the patched cracks show through or the other two bridges, one of which she said shows concerns near the middle structure.

“Do you think tractor-trailers can go across that bridge safely?” asked WSAZ reporter Kim Rafferty.

“No, I actually reached out to a friend of mine last night, and he said after me sending in pictures, he would not feel comfortable taking three tons across that — let alone 33 tons,” King said.

WSAZ has not yet heard back from the DOH about when the bridge was last inspected and what the outcome of the inspection was. Keep checking the WSAZ app for the latest.

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