State Awards Nearly $2 Million in McDowell Flood Road Repairs
The West Virginia Division of Highways announced on Nov. 3, 2025, contract awards from an Oct. 28 special bid letting to repair roads in McDowell County damaged during February floods. The six local projects, totaling about $1.97 million, aim to restore long-disrupted travel and stabilize vulnerable slopes and embankments across the county.
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The West Virginia Division of Highways (WVDOH) has awarded six construction contracts to repair flood-damaged roads in McDowell County, moving long-awaited work toward the field after dozens of road closures in February. The agency announced the awards on Nov. 3, 2025, stemming from a special bid letting held Oct. 28 that also produced contracts for other southern counties affected by the same storm system.
The projects awarded in McDowell County include a Panther Mohawk Road micropile slide repair with resurfacing and guardrail, awarded to GeoStabilization International LLC for $442,090; WV 83 micropile slide repair and resurfacing, also to GeoStabilization for $387,456.50; and WV 80 near Bradshaw micropile slide repair and resurfacing, to GeoStabilization for $277,818. GeoStabilization additionally won the Black Diamond Highway micropile slide repair and resurfacing contract for $183,576. Thaxton Construction Company Inc. secured two piling wall projects: WV 103 piling wall slide repair for $481,669 and WV 83 piling wall slide repair for $199,948. The six awards total approximately $1,972,557.50.
Micropiles and piling walls are stabilization techniques used to anchor unstable slopes and shore up embankments where conventional repairs are impractical after scour and soil movement. The selection of firms with specialized geotechnical capabilities reflects the nature of the damage McDowell experienced during the February flooding, when heavy runoff and saturated soils triggered multiple closures and undermined sections of state routes and local connectors.
Restoring these links is essential for residents who depend on state roads for access to schools, medical care, employment, and emergency services. Prolonged closures can exacerbate economic isolation in a county that has faced infrastructure challenges for years. The WVDOH framed the awards as a step toward reinstating reliable access for communities across the county, but the announcement did not include firm construction start or completion dates, nor specific performance milestones.
The awarding process — a special bid letting and the identification of low bidders — is subject to state procurement rules. For residents and local officials, the next critical questions will be project timelines, traffic management during work, and oversight mechanisms to ensure timely, cost-effective completion. Transparency around contract performance, inspections, and maintenance plans will determine whether these repairs provide lasting resilience against future floods.
Local civic engagement can play a role in that oversight. Residents may monitor WVDOH project updates, raise questions at county commission meetings, and track contractor performance through available public records. As McDowell moves from emergency response to reconstruction, restoring roads will be both a technical challenge and a test of institutional accountability in converting awarded contracts into durable, accessible infrastructure.
