Charleston, WV (WOAY) – Several bridge crews across various counties joined to build a temporary bridge over the growing sinkhole impacting Route 20 in Hinton, which is now open to traffic.
The West Virginia Department of Highways (WVDOH) describes the sinkhole as “unlike any other, with a very fine ash material washing away beneath both a police station and the roadway itself.”
Crews discovered lead in the material, which makes implementing a permanent solution more difficult. However, WVDOH ensures a long-term repair is underway.
The temporary bridge is 11 feet, nine inches wide, with an overhead clearance of 13 feet, six inches due to overhead power lines.
The temporary bridge will be in place until the WVDOH finishes repairs to the existing culvert to restore water flow under the road until crews can install a permanent 300-foot steel drainage structure.
The WVDOH hopes to put the permanent repair out for bid by the end of 2022.
