Morgantown Utility Board approves Patteson culvert repair contract

The Morgantown Utility Board approved a $1,003,486 contract at its July 14, 2026, meeting to address the failing culvert beneath part of the Patteson Drive Burger King parking lot, where a vehicle began sinking into the ground in June 2025.

The contract with Insight Pipe covers cleaning and rehabilitating about 700 feet of a 96-inch culvert. MUB officials said a crew could begin work as early as August 2026, although that start date is not guaranteed. Once the contractor mobilizes, the work is expected to take about one to two months.

Why part of the parking lot remains closed

Part of the Burger King lot has remained cordoned off with orange cones since June 2025, when a vehicle began sinking into the ground. MUB Assistant General Manager Rich Rogers previously attributed the instability to separations at the culvert’s joints.

The immediate project is intended to address the culvert-related ground instability beneath the Patteson Drive property. MUB General Manager Mike McNulty said the utility wants to complete that portion of the work and return the affected area to business use.

The repair is one phase of a larger drainage effort

The culvert project is part of a broader Lower Popenoe Run stormwater effort. MUB’s July 14 regular-meeting agenda listed the Lower Popenoe Stormwater Project under old business, while an earlier March agenda listed the Lower Popenoe Run evaluation and upgrades.

In March, MUB approved a $72,000 task order for preliminary engineering and a hydraulic study of lower Popenoe Run. The study area runs primarily along Patteson Drive between the WVU Alumni Center and Krepps Park.

The culvert rehabilitation will not complete every part of that larger effort. MUB officials said additional stream restoration and other infrastructure improvements may still be needed, and the utility is awaiting the final engineering report before making further decisions.

What the project means for nearby residents and businesses

Funding for the contract will come from roughly $1.77 million remaining from sewer-project bonds issued in 2016, according to The Dominion Post. The approved materials do not identify a new tax increase for this project.

Residents, drivers and nearby businesses should watch for a future MUB or contractor notice confirming the start date and describing any construction access changes. As of July 27, 2026, officials had not confirmed specific traffic restrictions, parking-lot access changes or road closures.

The next major decision point will be the final lower Popenoe engineering work. That report is expected to help determine whether additional drainage, stream-restoration or infrastructure projects are needed beyond the culvert repair.

Sources

• The Dominion Post report on the Patteson culvert project
• MUB July 14, 2026 meeting materials
• MUB July 14, 2026 agenda PDF