It’s done! Membrane and overlay project complete on Fort Hill Bridge in Charleston

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It caused lane closures and traffic backups for months, but work is now complete on a protective membrane and asphalt overlay project on the Eugene A. Carter Memorial Bridge (Fort Hill Bridge) on Interstate 64. The membrane and fresh asphalt should minimize the formation of new potholes on the 50-year-old bridge until a new deck can be built within the next year or so.

"The Fort Hill Bridge is the most heavily traveled bridge in the state," said Tracy Brown, West Virginia Division of Highways (WVDOH) State Bridge Engineer. "It's also the most difficult bridge we have to work on because of that traffic.

"Keeping that bridge in the best possible condition for motorists is a major goal of the WVDOH."​

A series of potholes began opening on the bridge beginning in the spring of 2025, leading to several lane daytime closures while WVDOH bridge crews patched the holes.

Over the summer, bridge crews began an aggressive round of preventative patching to identify potential future potholes and fix them, working at night to keep the impact to travelers at a minimum.

In September, Triton Construction Inc. was awarded a contract for $6.7 million to make deck repairs on the concrete-decked bridge, put down an impermeable membrane to help keep water from the old deck, and lay down a thick layer of asphalt to minimize wear on the 50-year-old bridge until the entire deck can be replaced within the next year or so. Triton began work in October.

"This is not a permanent fix," said Transportation Secretary Todd Rumbaugh, P.E. "Our hope is this membrane will extend the life of the bridge deck through the winter, preventing lane closures and additional deck repairs."

Triton used a special asphalt to help increase traction on the bridge.

Bridge engineers are currently drawing up plans to replace the entire bridge deck. "We're going to see how much time this membrane buys us," Brown said.