CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A state Division of Highways contractor will address base failures to a busy stretch of Interstate 64 in Kanawha County before repaving all six lanes.
West Virginia Paving is set to start the five-mile job Monday night near the Dunbar exit. The work will begin in the eastbound lanes. Once that’s repaved to the Oakwood Road exit in Charleston, crews will head west back to Dunbar. The job could take up to four months.
DOH spokesman Randy Damron said the work will take place overnights from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. to avoid peak traffic times.
“To have less congestion and less inconvenience to the public,” Damron said.
That stretch of interstate sees about 103,000 vehicles a day.
Repaving won’t start right away because of base failures.
“The are going to fix what’s under the asphalt and then put the new paving on top when that’s finished,” he said.
Damron said one of those failures motorists can feel now.
“There’s a dip in the westbound lanes before you approach the Montrose exit,” he said.
Traffic will be reduced to one lane during the evening work periods. Crews will close sections between existing bridges. All lanes will reopen in time for morning traffic, Damron said.
“The cones will be pulled back to the shoulders,” he said.
Dangers increase in nighttime work zones. Damron said it’s important for motorists to pay attention to signage and move over to the open lane of traffic as quickly as possible.
The state will pay West Virginia Paving $18.6 million to complete the work.
It’s been several years since the five-mile section has been repaved. The most recent job, which happened within the last decade. focused on the repaving of the middle lane of traffic only.
The work zone is only about eight miles from a significant interstate widening and bridge project that’s happening near the Nitro exit heading west into Putnam County.