US Route 50

The old man contacted the Department of Highways about the drain under US 50. The West Virginia Department of Highways, (DOH), brought in an excavator. The old man showed the state supervisor where the location of the metal drain outlet was on the valley floor. Though the operator started on the valley floor and dug near the base of the McDonalds Slope, he did not stay on task long. He stopped, then changed course and drove the large metal track excavator up the old man's blacktop driveway.

The operator then started at the top of the McDonald's slope and worked his way down the slope. He hit drainage coming out of the slope, above the area of the metal drain outlet. The old man said; Drainage is trying to find a way out. However, he was dismayed. Why did the operator not heed his initial directions? In the process of working above, the operator had placed more fill over the drain outlet location on the valley floor. They even had his 1939 engineering prints that showed the drain's dimensions in relation to the existing US Route 50.

US Route 50 Construction History

This narration covers the construction of "New US 50" from Emily Drive east towards the city of Bridgeport WV.

Earthen fill was obtained from the hill area, which is now the Emily Drive Area.

Earthen fill was progressively pushed east into a deep valley area toward Old U.S Route 50, Shown In Blue, Below.

Earthen fill would then be seamed into then Old US 50, which at the time veered left and traversed up the hill toward what is now a Home Depot shopping area.

Earthen fill would be added to the Northern "Inlet Side" of U.S. Route 50 by developers, after its 1939 construction. (They would also add a tinker toy setup of underground drainage lines, some reversing flow back up the hill, and then back down).

Earthen fill would be added to the lateral Southern "Outlet Side" of U.S. Route 50 by the State Department of Highways, throughout the years. The "seam" where New U.S Route 50 met Old U.S 50 would be the weakest point of said endeavor. Thus; The State's subsequent fill periods, made sense. 

Eastern view, towards what is now Bridgeport WV.

Why?

In 1939 the West Virginia Department of Highways, (DOH), could not seam the new fill for New US 50 to existing Old US 50, without placing a Drainage Line on the valley floor at it's lowest point. If they never placed a drainage line, it would have created a large deep pond on what is now the Home Depot side of US 50. This would have created a similar effect that occurred during the 2007 to 2008 timeframe, shown below:

So the State Road placed a Single Concrete Drain on the valley floor at the lowest area in the valley. Again, though the Drain Inlet is located on the Northern (Home Depot) side of US Route 50, it has been added onto like a big tinker toy and filled over with backfill throughout the years. The Drain's Outlet is located on the South (Left) side of US 50.

@Copyright 2008