CHARLESTON, WV (WVDN) — Gov. Jim Justice announced the launch of the 2024 West Virginia Department of Transportation (WVDOT) Core Maintenance Program, marking another significant stride in the state’s commitment to infrastructure upkeep and investment.
With over 25,110 potholes already patched along 3,811 miles of roadway, the program aims to continue the momentum of prioritizing core maintenance during the upcoming paving season.
Gov. Justice also unveiled the 2024 WVDOT Project Map. The map tracks not only core maintenance projects in every community and every county in the Mountain State, but also lists every paving project, bridge project, slide repair project, and Roads to Prosperity project scheduled for the year. Data will be updated every two weeks, so citizens can look at what projects are planned on their road, in their community, and follow them from start to finish.
“Today marks a huge step forward in our commitment to enhancing West Virginia’s infrastructure,” Gov. Justice said. “Through the launch of the 2024 WVDOT Core Maintenance Program and the unveiling of our comprehensive Project Map, we are setting the standard for transparency and efficiency. We have already seen the repair of over 22,500 potholes and the paving of thousands of miles of road, but we’re just getting started. This program is proof of what we can accomplish when we prioritize the needs of our communities. I am incredibly proud of the progress we’ve made, and we will continue to build on this momentum.”
West Virginia Department of Transportation crews have already gotten a head start on spring core maintenance, having already patched more than 25,110 potholes along more than 3,811 miles of road since the launch of Operation R.I.P. Potholes.
Core maintenance includes patching and maintenance of paved roads; ditching and other activities to make sure roadways are drained properly; mowing, brush-cutting, and clearing trees and branches from over roadways to keep water away from road surfaces and help wet roads dry faster; and maintenance of gravel roads. Core maintenance has been on WVDOT’s to-do list since the 1980s, but Gov. Justice and Wriston made core maintenance a top priority.
In March 2019, Gov. Justice directed WVDOT leaders to make road maintenance its top priority. Since then, it has completed more than $2.97 billion in highway maintenance projects, including patching on nearly 119,000 miles of roadway, more than 47,500 miles of ditching, and over 277,000 miles of mowing along the state’s highways. In that time, the WVDOT has paved more than 6,265 miles of roads with fresh, smooth blacktop.
“In seven short years, under Governor Justice’s leadership, we went from not being able to tell you what our people were doing out there to now being able to tell you how many potholes we’ve patched daily and weekly,” Secretary Wriston said. “The changes we’ve implemented will pay dividends for the people of West Virginia for generations to come.”
Under the WVDOT core maintenance plan, road crews pave and patch every year, stabilize all gravel roads each year, and ditch one third of all highways every year.
The numbers prove the strategy is working.
In 2021, the WVDOT completed about 82 percent of their core maintenance. In 2023, eight out of 10 districts got 100 percent of their work done, with an overall average of about 97 percent.
“We strive to be perfect,” Wriston said. “We’re going to shoot for 100 percent in all 10 districts this year.”
Doing work right the first time also means less work for WVDOT road crews in the future. By carefully milling out potholes, for example, making nice squared-off holes, brushing out all the debris, putting in a layer of sticky tack to help asphalt stick, and rolling in fresh, hot asphalt, WVDOT crews can make a nearly permanent pothole repair that will last for years.
Properly patched potholes this year mean fewer potholes to patch next year. The WVDOT used 87,500 tons of asphalt patching roads in 2021, but only a little over 73,000 tons in 2023.
WVDOT road crews have made other strides as well. Since 2021, the number of slides needing repair in the state have fallen from approximately 2,300 to 506. Living in hilly terrain, new slips and slides can occur, but catching up seemed impossible just a few short years ago.
“We purchased our own equipment to facilitate the sustainability of working on these slips and slides,” Secretary Wriston said. “We have moved in the right direction. Sometimes it’s a small step and sometimes it’s a huge step,” he said. “After all is said and done, every individual in this organization is of immeasurable value with their service to the people of this state.”
With about 35,000 miles of roads to maintain and 7,000 bridges, West Virginia has the sixth largest highway system in the country. West Virginia Division of Highways (WVDOH) District 6, which comprises the northern panhandle, has more miles of road to maintain than the entire Maryland Department of Transportation.
“As we move forward, our WVDOT remains steadfast in its mission to enhance West Virginia’s infrastructure, ensuring safer, more reliable roadways for all,” Secretary Wriston said. “Together, through the leadership of Gov. Justice, and with prudent management and strategic investments, we are building a brighter future for the Mountain State.”
