CHARLESTON,W.Va. — A ruling in Kanawha County Circuit Court Wednesday means crews could start removing debris from Keystone Drive by the middle of next month.
Circuit court Judge Joanna Tabit said each company being sued in connection with the Yeager Airport slide must report where they want to have core samples taken by the end of the week.
The closure of Keystone Drive after the collapse of the EMASSE system on the airport’s runway has negatively impacted several businesses who depend on the road.
“It’s been over a year since this rock slide and we’ve yet to see the first bit of dirt moved on it,” said Jeff Jospeh, Manager of the Spring Street Foodland. “We’re just asking that it be addressed and we need something done about it.”
Jospeh aired his concerns over the road closure before the Kanahwa County Commission this week. A good sized portion of the Foodland’s customer base relies on Keystone Drive to get to the store. Those who live on Keystone Drive on the other side of the slide, Rutledge Road, up past Coonskin, out 119 past Capital High School and in Pinch all use the road to get to the store. Some are taking the long way, but Joseph fears many more are shopping for groceries elsewhere.
“A big part of the appeal of retail stores is ease and convenience. We’ve taken that away with the closure of the road,” Joseph said. “From day one we noticed an impact and the ones that still do choose to make the long way around trip to the store tell us how much of an inconvenience it’s become.”
Joseph isn’t alone. Most businesses in his part of town are suffering.
“It supplies a lot of business to the west side and in particular this grocery store. We’re not going to settle for that road being closed.”
Retail today operates on a fairly thin margin of profit and Joseph said there are no thinner profits that in a grocery store. He said any negative impact is always a severe blow. He called on the county commission to make reopening the roadway a priority even as the matter languishes amid various regulatory agencies, insurance carriers, the airport, and various contractors.
“We need to put it at the forefront of the conversation and get something done. We need to get that road opened back up,” Jospeh said. “It doesnt’ have to be anything pretty or grand, we just need that road to start allowing access and traffic through it again.”
Airport officials were concerned about the possibility of flooding during the summer on parts of adjacent Barlow Drive, which would mean homeowners and businesses who use Keystone Drive as an escape route would be forced to use the airport runway in the event of an emergency.