Published: June 23, 2009 07:25 pm      

Area road projects demonstrate stimulus funds at work

BLUEWELL — Resurfacing work currently underway on U.S. Route 52 is among several projects in Mercer and McDowell counties being fueled by federal stimulus fund money.

District 10 of the West Virginia Department of Highways–which includes Mercer, McDowell, Wyoming and Raleigh counties–has 10 stimulus projects totaling $5.4 million, said Tom Camden, the district’s acting director.

“Those are in the contracted amounts,” Camden said. “Two of those are in Raleigh County, which is about $800,000.”

A major Mercer County project now underway is the resurfacing of Route 52 between Pinnacle Rock and Lorton Lick Road. The $588,000 project is now approximately 50 percent complete, he said.

“The included some drainage work, which is primarily completed,” Camden said. “And some shoulders and ditches, which are primarily completed. We’ve also done some widening and built up the shoulders so they can be paved. That’s primarily completed.”

“We hope to have the paving completed by July 4. Obviously, the weather can be a factor. Then there will be some guardrails installed; that should be a minimal disruption. Then we will put down some temporary striping, and wait 30 days to do the permanent stripes. With any luck, by the first of August everything should be completed.”

One recently completed project is the $1.3 million repaving of U.S. Route 460 in the vicinity of Mercer Mall, Camden said.

“That was part of the stimulus program,” he added.

Other stimulus projects include bridge overlays on Route 460 the Oakvale area of Mercer County. The $774,000 project involves grinding off the Oakvale bridge’s roadway and repaving it.

In McDowell County, another bridge project, replacing a span for $500,000, is scheduled for South Roselawn. And a $600,000 paving job is currently underway between Bear Town and Iaeger, Camden said.

Which types of projects will be undertaken depend “on how much money we ultimately get, and we’ll put it to it’s best use,” he said.

An upcoming stimulus project will affect the traffic flow on Interstate 77, Camden said. A bridge that goes over John Nash Boulevard on I-77 at the East River Mountain Tunnel is slated for cleaning and painting.

“This should start in mid-July and it will disrupt traffic on 77. We will probably have to close a lane,” he said.