McDowell County roads, bridge set for state paving and replacement work

McDowell County’s WV 16 corridor from Caretta to Coalwood, the Berwind Loop Bridge, the Little Flint I-Beam Bridge and a Paden Fork Road slip repair were all among the state projects lined up for paving and structural work in the West Virginia Division of Highways’ April 14 bid letting.

The county projects stood out in a letting that included 18 construction jobs statewide, eight of them bridge replacement or rehabilitation projects. For McDowell, the list covered both road surfacing and bridge work, a sign that the county’s transportation needs remain split between worn pavement and aging structures that carry daily traffic through narrow mountain corridors.

That mix matters in a place where a single closure can ripple through school-bus routes, ambulance access and the everyday trips that connect Caretta, Coalwood and Berwind. WV 16 is one of the county’s key links, and a bridge replacement on Berwind Loop, along with the Little Flint bridge job and the Paden Fork stabilization work, points to more than routine maintenance. It points to a network that still needs active attention to stay open and safe.

State Bridge Engineer Tracy Brown said Gov. Patrick Morrisey has emphasized keeping existing bridge infrastructure in service, with a focus on fixing bridges that are still in good or fair shape before they slide further into poor condition. That approach fits McDowell County’s landscape, where steep terrain, weather and age can wear down roads and crossings faster than in flatter parts of the state.

The West Virginia Division of Highways said most bids are reviewed, analyzed and awarded within about a week of the letting, though some take longer depending on how proposals compare with department estimates and other funding issues. That means McDowell County could see the next decision point in late April, with construction able to follow after awards are issued.

The letting was held online through Bid Express, part of a system the division uses once or twice each month. WVDOH also tracks projects on an interactive map that separates active, completed, planned, core maintenance and emergency work, including projects funded by FHWA or FEMA after declared emergencies and natural disasters since 2024.

Morrisey said in June 2025 that his administration wanted the Department of Transportation to prioritize pothole patching, road paving and bridge repairs, with a goal of reducing structurally deficient bridges to below 10% by 2028. At the time, he said about 14% of West Virginia’s bridges were rated in poor condition, a statewide backlog that helps explain why McDowell’s paving and bridge projects are part of a broader maintenance push, not isolated fixes.