GeoStabilization delivered a design-build soil nail and shotcrete retaining wall system along Justus Road in Watauga County, North Carolina, where roadway widening and cut-slope instability required a permanent engineered stabilization solution. The project reinforced an excavated cut slope located directly adjacent to the traveled roadway, restoring long-term slope stability while maintaining safe traffic operations along the corridor.
The completed system consisted of an approximately 167-foot-long soil nail and shotcrete wall, with wall heights reaching up to 9 feet above roadway grade. This structural solution provided reinforcement for the newly excavated slope while protecting the roadway from future slope movement and erosion.
Because the stabilization work occurred within a narrow right-of-way directly beside the roadway, the slope excavation and stabilization were completed in carefully controlled stages. Crews excavated the over-steepened slope in 4–5-foot lifts, allowing safe benching for workers while maintaining stability throughout the construction process.
Following excavation, GeoStabilization installed permanent cased soil nails, typically extending up to 10 feet into the slope, to anchor the cut face into stable ground behind the wall. These structural elements provide long-term reinforcement by transferring loads from the slope into the anchored soil mass.
After soil nail installation, crews applied an 8-inch reinforced shotcrete facing across the stabilized area, creating a structural wall surface that protects the slope from weathering and surface erosion while distributing loads across the soil nail system.
Because Justus Road is located within a scenic mountain corridor, the project required a solution that balanced structural performance with visual integration into the surrounding landscape. To meet aesthetic requirements, GeoStabilization applied a decorative sculpted and stained shotcrete finish over a 2-inch non-structural veneer, creating a natural rock appearance that blends with the surrounding terrain.
This decorative treatment ensured that the completed retaining wall maintained the visual character of the corridor while providing modern slope stabilization performance.
Traffic management was carefully coordinated throughout construction due to the narrow roadway conditions. Intermittent closures lasting approximately 15–20 minutes at a time allowed crews to safely perform excavation, drilling, and shotcrete installation while minimizing disruption to local traffic.
GeoStabilization collaborated closely with transportation agency crews responsible for excavation support, hauling, erosion control, guardrail installation, and paving to ensure the project remained on schedule.
Completed between July and September 2022, the Justus Road cut wall project restored stability to the roadway corridor while delivering a durable retaining system designed for long-term performance.
By combining soil nail reinforcement, structural shotcrete, and decorative finishing, GeoStabilization provided a stabilization solution that improved roadway safety, protected the cut slope from future instability, and enhanced the visual quality of the Justus Road corridor.
Soil Nail Wall Construction
Reinforced Shotcrete Retaining Wall
Roadway Cut Slope Stabilization
Design-Build Slope Stabilization
Decorative Shotcrete Rock Finish
Limited Access Roadway Construction
