BECKLEY, WV (WOAY) – It took over four months, but Main Street is once again fully open to Beckley traffic. Demolition of the damaged buildings began in July, and it’s been a tedious process to clear Main Street.
“Those who contracted the demolition after the collapse of the Walton building, which then triggered damage to the new building,” said Beckley Mayor Rob Rappold. “Triggered damage to the Wells Fargo Advisors building. It’s been quite a roller coaster for these folks.”
The City of Beckley and the Board of Public Works have been working with Empire Salvage and Recycling to bring this process to fruition.
“The Empire Salvage did a great job,” Rappold said. “It became a very meticulous process. Eventually, after the damage to adjacent buildings, it became a process of almost brick by brick removal.”
The last part of the clearing process is removing the red dumpster once a new gas line is installed in the alley behind the buildings.
“Right now it’s consuming a two spot parking space on Main Street,” Rappold said. “So we’re anxious to free that up for people who need to park there. It was just a matter of opening that block of Main Street safely.”
That final touch will open all of all of the parking spaces on Main Street, and could make it feel like it was never closed.
