TUNNELTON – Local citizens and businesses have stepped up to help the Tunnelton Quick Stop stay open. Owner Dave Biggins said he is losing about $500 a day in sales since the WV Department of Highway began work to replace a storm drain in front of his store about a year ago. The digging and the heavy equipment is impeding traffic to his business and discouraging both customers and suppliers.
Biggins said he does not blame the DOH workers. He said he knows they have a job to do, but said the contract for the construction work was supposed to be filled by July 2025, Biggins said since the construction started his profit is way down. It started with a sewer line from his store to Subway. Now, he said, the state is digging up the road to put in a storm drain.
To keep his business going, Biggins said he had to take out a $20,000 loan in January. He said he was considering applying for a second loan when his daughter started a GoFundMe account for him. In an effort to keep his customers updated, he posted he did a video about the problems he was facing.
“I think the story the Dominion Post ran started this,” Biggins said about the attention the store is getting. He said after the Dominion Post story ran another media source contacted him did a second story.
Biggins said following the media attention, local businesses have gone out of their way to help him. He said dozens of businesses are currently offering their customers discounts if they bring in a receipt from his store. As an example, Highland Pharmacy is offering a 20% discount, The Tire Shoppe LLC is giving a free alignment check, and the gravel plant donated 10 ton of gravel, sold out and gave him the money from the sales. He said people are coming into the store and donating money, several of the donations have been $1,000.
“We don’t run on a high profit,” Biggins said. “Before this started, I was getting gas trucks every four or five days, now its every four or five weeks. Trucks bringing in supplies kept going because they can’t get in my parking lot.”
Earlier, DOH District Manager Earl Gaskins said he understood Biggins concerns about the project, but he said putting in the drain is not an easy job. Gaskins said the town doesn’t have plans or blueprints for all of the old drains they are finding. He said some of the trenches have to go down 20 feet to get to the flow line, something the DOH doesn’t normally have to do.
“There is no way to put in a storm drain without digging things up,” Gaskins said. “I drove up and met with him (Biggins). We make sure one end or the other of his parking lot is open for customers, but when you are putting in a storm system it’s very destructive.”
In a Facebook Post Commission President Hunter Thomas wrote: “The work currently being done in town is necessary to address the long standing flooding issue in Tunnelton. Infrastructure improvements like this are important for long term health and safety of the community. That said, with any project, there are always conversations to be had about how we can lessen the burden on our small businesses while the work is underway.
“Over the next few days, I’ll be working on ways to help both professionally and personally. On the professional side, I’ll be having conversations about how to make this project work as smoothly as possible for everyone involved. On the personal side, I’m exploring ideas such as organizing a fundraising dinner or other community support efforts.
“In the meantime, the best thing we can all do is show up. Stop in, grab a drink, fuel up, share their posts, and spread the word that they are still open.”
Tunnelton has had drainage problems for years. From 2018 to 2024, the town and the DOH worked to repair flooding at the Tunnelton Underpass. During heavy rains, flooding occurred in the structure, delaying emergency vehicles and sending local residents several miles out of their way to bypass the problem. It also caused flooding on WV 26. In 2018, the West Virginia Legislature passed House Bill 2984. The bill grants priority to roadway construction, reconstruction and maintenance for roadways prone to recurring floods that hinder ingress and egress. The bill became effective June 1, 2018. The current flooding is occurring in front of the Tunnelton Quick Stop and the house across the street, according to Biggins.
