TUNNELTON — Work could begin on the Tunnelton underpass within a few weeks, according to Tunnelton water supervisor Bryan Moreland.
Moreland said members of the Public Service Commission called him right before a town meeting to let him know they would be in Tunnelton at the underpass the next morning at 8 a.m.
Moreland, councilwoman Sandra Spiker and Tunnelton resident Perry McAtee met at the site with CSX inspector Marc Ravpach and members of the West Virginia Public Service Commission.
“He (Ravpach) gave us his card and assured us he would take care of the drainage, clean up the loose debris, fix the overhead water leaks and fix the lighting,” McAtee said.
Jake Flatley, senior transportation public information specialist for the West Virginia Department of Transportation, said he spoke with the West Virginia Department of Highway (WVDOH) District 4 engineers and they provided some information:
“The Tunnelton drainage project in Preston County was awarded to Wolfe’s Excavating LLC for $3,254,009.57 on Thursday June 27, 2024. The project, whose design has been ongoing for a couple of years, will alleviate drainage issues underneath the railroad underpass and along WV 26.”
In an email, a staff member at Sen. Shelley Moore Capito’s office, said, “The WV PSC made a visit to the overpass last week and reported no defects. However, CSX has agreed to patch up spots inside the underpass that have been deemed aesthetic but are still concerning to Tunnelton’s residents. The WV PSC also submitted a written report to the governor’s office.
“Regarding drainage issues, it is our understanding that the West Virginia Department of Highways should have the drainage repairs inside the underpass under contract this year.”
Over the years drainage and water problems have plagued the underpass. In August 2018, when a question arose about damage done to the underpass by dripping water, town clerk Rita Nicholson said, “a while back we took CSX to court. We were awarded money to fix the dripping. We can no longer come back on them for water destroying the roads.”
Moreland, who was then president of the Tunnelton Volunteer Fire Department, said the VFD had received 13 emergency calls about the underpass. He said two calls were for water rescue.
At that same time, DOH District 4 Engineer Donnie Williams said once the drainage problem was addressed other solutions like putting in a bridge or upgrading alternate routes could be discussed.
Williams has said the brick road going into the underpass on one side belongs to the town. He said W.Va. 26 on the other side was the property of the state, and the right-of-way- under the railroad was CSX’s responsibility due to a 1912 agreement.
