After a partial road collapse during the summer, there is no word yet on when New River Drive will open to thru traffic.
According to Beckley Mayor Rob Rappold, who spoke during the regular meeting of the Beckley Common Council on Tuesday, excavation is still being completed on a section of road that collapsed in August.
New River Drive is a popular connector route between Robert C. Byrd Drive and Pikeview Drive in Beckley. Following heavy rains this past August, the road collapsed around a culvert that allows for drainage of Little Whitestick Creek.
“The contractor is on the job proceeding with the excavation of the old drainage system there,” Rappold explained. Once the excavation is complete and old piping removed, the new box culvert will be ready for installation. However, resurfacing the area will most likely be postponed until warmer weather.
“The local asphalt place has closed for the winter,” Rappold stated. Since the auxiliary plant in Princeton closes on December 15, the road will need to be resurfaced with cement until spring.
Kevin Reedy, administrator of the Beckley Moose Lodge located on New River Drive, expressed concern about the project.
“It’s a big influence for the people who live on Maxwell Hill area,” Reedy said. “That road is used quite often for emergency vehicles and so forth and in the construction business and dealing with the engineers, four months is way out of line to get this project taken care of. We are getting a little tired of it. We are all taxpayers too. We need some movement done on this.”
Rappold responded that several hurdles have come into play that have slowed construction work down. He said that he hopes the project is done by Christmas, but he is “hesitant to put that out there in the form of a promise.”
“We are all anxious to get that open,” Rappold said.
In other Beckley news, the council passed a resolution for the Region 1 Planning and Development Council to complete a Land and Water Conservation Fund application to upgrade the Beckley Freedom Park. If approved, the city of Beckley would match the grant amount of $100,000.
Funds would be used to repair and replace dilapidated playground equipment and update park amenities.
“We have an outlived pirate ship over there that has seen its better days. That would be replaced with a similar new attraction for young people,” Rappold said.
The adjoining skate park would also receive an upgrade.
Additionally, council approved the first reading of an ordinance authorizing the sale of 1102 N. Eisenhower Drive, the site of former Beckley Fire Station #3. The highest bid during the December 3 public auction for the property was $575,000.
Council is also seeking input from the community about ideas for the space on Main Street where the Walton and New buildings were recently demolished.
While the property is privately owned, the owners are open to suggestions, Rappold stated.
Suggestions from the council included an outdoor market, parking lot, coffee shop, a plaza style open space and even the construction of permanent buildings that could house craft breweries or boutiques.
Also, Council announced that the Mountaineer Food Bank will distribute food at Linda K. Epling stadium on Monday, December 21, from 10 am – 1 pm.
Meetings of the Beckley Common Council are being streamed via a WebEx event until further notice. The public is welcomed to join the meetings through a link provided on the city’s webpage or Facebook page.
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