WHEELING - More tile will be used to renovate the eastbound tube of the Wheeling Tunnel than officials originally projected would be needed for both sides.
Brent Walker, assistant director of communications for the West Virginia Department of Transportation, confirmed Thursday that more tile has been ordered to replace tile damaged last year by overspray from the application of shotcrete to repair damaged subwalls and provide a base for new tile.
Walker was in Wheeling for a media briefing on the trouble-laden tunnel project. He was accompanied by WVDOH District 6 engineers, including tunnel project engineer Dustin Neely, construction engineer Dan Sikora and area engineer Robert Langen.
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Photos by Scott McCloskey
Velotta employee John Kinney scrapes grout spray from some of the larger tiles in the Wheeling Tunnel on Thursday. State officials were in the tunnel to provide an update on the project’s progress.
Neely said an additional 3,000-4,000 tiles are en route from Germany and should be on the job site within two weeks.
He said the original design plan called for 13,000 square feet of tile to be installed in both tubes of the tunnel, but an increase in demolition and damage from overspray to other tiles has upped the count.
"We originally projected a need for replacement of 4,500 square feet of tile in the eastbound tube," Neely said. "We later increased the count to 7,800 square feet, and now we are adding (more than) another 4,500 square feet for damaged tile."
Not included in these numbers are additional tiles damaged last year, Neely said, that factored into the count for a total of more than 13,000 square feet.
Walker said WVDOH decided reglazing of damaged tile would not be feasible because there were questions about the durability of reglazed tile over a long period of time.
In June, the Velotta Co., general contractor on the job, called in RJ's Tub and Tile of Richmond, Va., for testing to evaluate the feasibility of reglazing damaged tile in lieu of replacement. On Thursday, Neely said the company will not be used and all damaged tile will be replaced with new tile.
Walker said financial responsibility for the additional tile is "an outstanding issue."
At Thursday's briefing, Walker and Neely updated reporters on progress being made at the tunnel.
Walker said work is progressing as two 11-man crews are working 10 hours a day and a skeleton crew is filling in the gaps.
"We, and by that I mean the secretary (Department of Transportation Secretary Paul Mattox) and governor (Joe Manchin) have made it abundantly clear that this project is to be completed and the tunnel opened by Nov. 1," he said. "The state, the surety company and the contractor are on the same page about that."
Walker said state officials are excited about "the new and improved tunnel" that will result from the renovation.
He said the new closed circuit television system and carbon monoxide monitors will allow emergency traffic centers in Charleston and Huntington to monitor tunnel activity in the event of any emergency.
Neely said the new trench drain installed last year at the west end of the eastbound tube will be upgraded to carry a heavier load. The drain was made of lighter gauge steel and was not as wide as the original grating.
Temporary repairs had to be made to the drain in May when a break in the system caused a potential traffic danger.
"We had design representatives here from a foundry that forms and pours steel grating, and we have a plan in place to increase the capacity and size of that drain," Neely said.
Walker said additional media briefings may be held between now and Nov. 1 to allow visual access to the job and answer specific questions.