Corridor H

[cpzilliacus]

the locals will demand relief from what will become an overburdened and dangerous 13 miles.

This won't happen until they get the relief they're already demanding for the overburdened and dangerous I-81 already in their backyard.  Don't hold your breath on an improved VA 55 (sic US 48) route until then...

The only part of I-81 that would be significantly impacted by a completed Corridor H is rather short, from the eastern terminus of U.S. 48 (I-81 Exit 296) to I-66 (I-81 Exit 300), about 3.9 miles (and yes, that part of I-81 and the current I-81/U.S. 48 interchange are inadequate now, and need to be rebuilt).

I assert that a completed Corridor H would also divert some truck trips currently using  I-64 across West Virginia to I-81 to use I-79 to Weston, then Corridor H to I-81.

Google shows miles from Charleston, W.Va. to the I-81/I-66 interchange as 291 miles (including 111 miles on I-81).  Via current (incomplete) Corridor H, it's 262 miles (and I would not want to dispatch an inexperienced truck driver to navigate U.S. 219 from Kerens to Davis or U.S. 48 from Wardensville to I-81).

The miles on a completed Corridor H would be a few less, but this is close enough  for discussion purposes. 

Fixed I-81 Exit Number typo     -Mark

[froggie]

You missed my point, CP.  My point (using SP's own terms) was that I-81 is "overburdened and dangerous" on a far grander scale than VA 55 between I-81 and the border.  Area residents likely won't support VA 55 improvements until VDOT addresses I-81.

Regarding your mileages, one has to counter the shorter length with the fact that it is A) a lower speed limit along the Corridor H part, and B) a much more hilly and mountainous route, with a lot of climbs (more than I-81/I-64/I-77) that will eat into any potential time savings a truck would have taking that route.

[Jmiles32]

You missed my point, CP.  My point (using SP's own terms) was that I-81 is "overburdened and dangerous" on a far grander scale than VA 55 between I-81 and the border.  Area residents likely won't support VA 55 improvements until VDOT addresses I-81.

I get the feeling area residents won't support VA 55 improvements regardless of what VDOT does with I-81.

As for the route in which Corridor H would take,  widening the current route could be to expensive and take too many properties. A new four lane highway a mile or two south of the existing route would be far less damaging. The only obstacles would be some farms and a mountain but hey that didn't stop WV! A new interchange would be built south of the existing one with I-81. VA55 could stay on it's current route while just US 48 would be signed on the new route  separating local and thru traffic. Also at the same time I-81 would be widened from 4 to 6 lanes from the new US 48 interchange all the way 30 miles north to the WV state line(fictional territory I know).

[froggie]

I believe what had been conceptualized 10-20 years ago was a corridor north of the existing route that tied directly into the 66/81 interchange.

[cpzilliacus]

I believe what had been conceptualized 10-20 years ago was a corridor north of the existing route that tied directly into the 66/81 interchange.

At one point in the 1990's, the West Virginia official highway map implied that Corridor H would connect to I-81 at or near the existing I-66 interchange.

[hbelkins]

Regarding your mileages, one has to counter the shorter length with the fact that it is A) a lower speed limit along the Corridor H part, and B) a much more hilly and mountainous route, with a lot of climbs (more than I-81/I-64/I-77) that will eat into any potential time savings a truck would have taking that route.

All of I-79 has a 70 mph speed limit and all of four-lane corridor H in West Virginia with the exception of a very short portion on the western end at Weston will have a speed limit of 65 mph.

Compare that with the lengthy 60 mph section of the WV Turnpike and the reduced speed limit section (I think 55) on I-64 between Covington and Clifton Forge. Plus the tolls and the curves on the turnpike.

I know this is anecdotal, but I have an acquaintance originally from Owensboro who lives in the DC area. When she comes home to Kentucky, she uses I-81 to I-64, and usually ends up spending the night on the way home somewhere near Barboursville or Huntington. When I asked her why she uses that route vs. I-68, she said because she hates the traffic on I-270. I think she would definitely use Corridor H if given the opportunity.

Heck, right now, even with the unfinished portion of Corridor H between Kerens and Davis, I prefer it to either interstate route.

[froggie]

A correction to what I posted before.  Found the 1996 FEIS for Corridor H via FTP, and it appears that if there was an option to tie Corridor H directly into the I-66/I-81 interchange, it was dropped before the Final EIS was completed.  The preferred alternative generally followed VA 55, with new alignment segments here and there, and tied into I-81 at Exit 296 instead of at a new interchange.

One option of this ("Line L") would have gone northeast of existing VA 55 from Wheatfield to I-81, with a new I-81 interchange at the curve just northeast of Exit 296.

A map of the Virginia portion.  The Preferred Alternative is shown as the black hashing.  Existing WV/VA 55 is the dark blue line:



Also of note:  the EIS makes note of the CTB's resolution of early 1995 to not recommend or support any specific alignments or construction in Virginia, instead opting to consider safety improvements as needed that would be implemented via VDOT's Six-Year-Plan.

[CVski]

Drove home from this afternoon from Canaan Valley on eastern Corridor H.  A lot of activity taking place up on the high plateau east of Davis over a 6 to 8 mile stretch.  Light and heavy equipment at work bearing the logos of JF Allen (the prime), Kokosing, and BK Construction.   Saw everything from earth removal nearest to Davis, rough and finer grading, concrete forming (but not pouring), and more than the usual number of light trucks and small hardhat conferencing.   Easily more manpower and activity on a single workday than I've seen in a long time.

[cpzilliacus]

Also of note:  the EIS makes note of the CTB's resolution of early 1995 to not recommend or support any specific alignments or construction in Virginia, instead opting to consider safety improvements as needed that would be implemented via VDOT's Six-Year-Plan.

Since it has became easily accessible online (while Philip A. Shucet was Commissioner of Highways), I have checked when the Six Year Plan is updated, and there  has never been any mention of any improvements (including planning and preliminary engineering) to Va. 55 or U.S. 48 in Frederick or Shenandoah Counties.

[CVski]

Paving of the two westbound lanes for the 7.4 mile segment under construction east of Davis was nearly completed this week.   1.4 of those miles were poured just between Monday afternoon and today, from the Beaver Creek bridge/Rubenstein entrance to the merge point one mile east of Davis.   Two heavy paving machines, each capable of pouring two lanes at a time, were in place on Monday but both were gone by today. 

For roughly the easternmost half of that 7.4 mile WB segment, both shoulders have also been poured, with the only remaining work appearing to be guardrails, pylons, signage, and lane painting.   The western half still needs both full shoulders to be poured, some minor gravel edging, and the aforementioned items.  In two or three locations, short concrete gaps still exist all the way across, but these are collectively only a couple hundred linear feet in length.   

The entrance to the Mettiki mine is roughly the halfway point of the 7.4 mile segment.

A lot of progress has been made in just a few short weeks.
 

[cpzilliacus]

Washington Post: New residents bring a taste of the city to a rural West Virginia town

According to a highway department study, on average 4,000 cars pass through Wardensville every day. That average probably is bumped up significantly by weekenders: Many D.C. residents drive on U.S. 48, which becomes Wardensville's Main Street, on their way to ski weekends in Davis, W.Va., or hiking trips through Canaan Valley or Seneca Rocks. The weekend-trippers are an attractive buyers' market that projects such as the farmers market hope to capitalize on.

[hbelkins]

Washington Post: New residents bring a taste of the city to a rural West Virginia town

According to a highway department study, on average 4,000 cars pass through Wardensville every day. That average probably is bumped up significantly by weekenders: Many D.C. residents drive on U.S. 48, which becomes Wardensville's Main Street, on their way to ski weekends in Davis, W.Va., or hiking trips through Canaan Valley or Seneca Rocks. The weekend-trippers are an attractive buyers' market that projects such as the farmers market hope to capitalize on.

And the local and state constabulary, based on the speed enforcement I've seen there.

[Thing 342]

Paving of the two westbound lanes for the 7.4 mile segment under construction east of Davis was nearly completed this week.   1.4 of those miles were poured just between Monday afternoon and today, from the Beaver Creek bridge/Rubenstein entrance to the merge point one mile east of Davis.   Two heavy paving machines, each capable of pouring two lanes at a time, were in place on Monday but both were gone by today. 

For roughly the easternmost half of that 7.4 mile WB segment, both shoulders have also been poured, with the only remaining work appearing to be guardrails, pylons, signage, and lane painting.   The western half still needs both full shoulders to be poured, some minor gravel edging, and the aforementioned items.  In two or three locations, short concrete gaps still exist all the way across, but these are collectively only a couple hundred linear feet in length.   

The entrance to the Mettiki mine is roughly the halfway point of the 7.4 mile segment.

A lot of progress has been made in just a few short weeks.
 

Took a trip out to the Canaan Valley last weekend and got a few pictures of construction along Corridor H. Not much has changed from what CVski mentioned, but the westernmost section has had its shoulders poured in places (still needs gravel edging, however). It looks like the road (at least the eastern portion) will be ready to open by October. (Not sure when the scheduled completion date is)






Still no US-48 signage west of the Tucker/Grant county line, however. I wish they'd sign WV-32 / US-219 as TEMP-48 or something for continuity.

More photos from the trip can be found here: http://wesj.org/roads/allegheny-mountains-august-2016/

[Bitmapped]

Still no US-48 signage west of the Tucker/Grant county line, however. I wish they'd sign WV-32 / US-219 as TEMP-48 or something for continuity.

Since US 48 isn't signed on the western section of Corridor H, there's no real issue with continuity right now. Some [To US 48]/[To US 219] signage at Davis and Thomas would be nice but I doubt you'll see WVDOH do anything more than that at this time.

[cpzilliacus]

Still no US-48 signage west of the Tucker/Grant county line, however. I wish they'd sign WV-32 / US-219 as TEMP-48 or something for continuity.

Since US 48 isn't signed on the western section of Corridor H, there's no real issue with continuity right now. Some [To US 48]/[To US 219] signage at Davis and Thomas would be nice but I doubt you'll see WVDOH do anything more than that at this time.

I agree about not signing western Corridor H (for now, Kerens to Weston).  Annoyingly, it is faithfully signed in Google Maps.

I do think a few trailblazer assemblies on W.Va. 32 approaching Corridor H would be good.  Also a few on U.S. 219 (northbound and southbound approaching W.Va. 32 on the north side of Thomas) would be enough, at least for now.

[CVski]

Took a trip out to the Canaan Valley last weekend and got a few pictures of construction along Corridor H. Not much has changed from what CVski mentioned, but the westernmost section has had its shoulders poured in places (still needs gravel edging, however). It looks like the road (at least the eastern portion) will be ready to open by October. (Not sure when the scheduled completion date is)

WVDOH website still says 9/1/2016 for completion of this 7.4 mile segment.  They're not going to make it by the stated deadline, but perhaps they still may... before the skies of November turn gloomy.....   

http://www.transportation.wv.gov/highways/districts/district-eight/Pages/work-zones.aspx

[cpzilliacus]

All of Corridor H in West Virginia (including western Corridor H and the uncompleted sections between Kerens and Davis) will have U.S. 48 signs and (where appropriate) trailblazers installed. 

This according to a letter from WVDOT/DOH to West Virginia Delegate Gary G. Howell (R-District 56) that was posted by him on Facebook here.

I was able to convert the relevant parts of the DOH letter to Delegate Howell to ASCII text (see below):

Thank you for your letter, dated July 13, 2016, regarding the signage of Corridor H as US 48 between its intersection with I-79 to the Virginia line, including sections not yet completed, and trailblazing on appropriate routes such as US 219, WV 93 and WV 32.

Our staff has recently been reviewing the need for trailblazing for Corridor H in the Parsons, Thomas, Davis and Canaan Valley areas and we concur that Corridor H (US 48) has reached a level of completeness where continuous designation of US 48 would be beneficial to drivers to provide consistent navigational route guidance. Coordination is beginning for this work between our Central Office and District staff. It is anticipated that actual field installations will begin in early fall.

[hbelkins]

I saw the same thing you did yesterday. What I found interesting was that the delegate is from Keyser, which isn't along the route of Corridor H. I wonder if he represents any of the counties through which the route runs?

[SP Cook]

. I wonder if he represents any of the counties through which the route runs?

http://www.legis.state.wv.us/Districts/maps.cfm#HD56

[cpzilliacus]

I saw the same thing you did yesterday. What I found interesting was that the delegate is from Keyser, which isn't along the route of Corridor H. I wonder if he represents any of the counties through which the route runs?

Good question and good catch.

Thanks to SP Cook for posting the link to the West Virginia legislative districts. 

Apparently not.

However, Corridor H is intended to be (as a transportation planner might call it) a regionally-significant highway and addition to the highway  network, and his district in Mineral County just barely touches the inadequate U.S. 50, so presumably his constituents will benefit directly and indirectly from an improved east-west highway running across the mountains.  Perhaps more once there's a direct high-speed connection to I-79, which will make it easier for those constituents to reach Charleston and other points to the west and south.

[sparker]

Wasn't there, at one time, an ancillary expressway corridor (not necessarily on the ARC network) planned from Corridor H north to the Cumberland area along either US 220 or WV 28 (or even the northern reaches of WV 93)?  Or were such plans shelved after ARC Corridor "O" was truncated from Maryland back to Bedford, PA?  If such plans still exist (even if dormant), it might provide an explanation for the interest emanating from the Keyser area, since one or more routing options passes near that town.

[froggie]

You would be referring to this.  Not on the ARC network, but proposed as a regional connection between the Cumberland area and Corridor H.  Had a Tier 1 Final EIS approved two years ago.

The preferred corridor begins at Corridor H in Moorefield and roughly follows US 220 to about 4 miles short of US 50, where it veers northwest and meets US 50/220 near the Markwood hamlet.  It then again follows US 220 back down the ridge, bypasses Keyser and McCoole to the west, and generally parallels US 220 (mostly to the west) up to Cresaptown.  There are two options for connecting to I-68...one just west of Exit 39 (paralleling MD 53 to get there), or just west of Exit 42.

[Thing 342]

All of Corridor H in West Virginia (including western Corridor H and the uncompleted sections between Kerens and Davis) will have U.S. 48 signs and (where appropriate) trailblazers installed. 

This according to a letter from WVDOT/DOH to West Virginia Delegate Gary G. Howell (R-District 56) that was posted by him on Facebook here.

I was able to convert the relevant parts of the DOH letter to Delegate Howell to ASCII text (see below):

Thank you for your letter, dated July 13, 2016, regarding the signage of Corridor H as US 48 between its intersection with I-79 to the Virginia line, including sections not yet completed, and trailblazing on appropriate routes such as US 219, WV 93 and WV 32.

Our staff has recently been reviewing the need for trailblazing for Corridor H in the Parsons, Thomas, Davis and Canaan Valley areas and we concur that Corridor H (US 48) has reached a level of completeness where continuous designation of US 48 would be beneficial to drivers to provide consistent navigational route guidance. Coordination is beginning for this work between our Central Office and District staff. It is anticipated that actual field installations will begin in early fall.

I wonder if this reflects a decline in WVDOH's confidence in getting the Kerens - Davis portion completed. IIRC, it's been pushed back well past 2030.

[cpzilliacus]

I wonder if this reflects a decline in WVDOH's confidence in getting the Kerens - Davis portion completed. IIRC, it's been pushed back well past 2030.

The section from the current eastern terminus of western Corridor H at Kerens to a point where it will cross U.S. 219 between the Randolph County/Tucker County line and Parsons is under construction now (only work we saw in late Spring at the Corridor H meet was clearing and grubbing).

[Duke87]

I wonder if this reflects a decline in WVDOH's confidence in getting the Kerens - Davis portion completed. IIRC, it's been pushed back well past 2030.

The section from the current eastern terminus of western Corridor H at Kerens to a point where it will cross U.S. 219 between the Randolph County/Tucker County line and Parsons is under construction now (only work we saw in late Spring at the Corridor H meet was clearing and grubbing).

Right, but according to the official WVDOH site for Corridor H, beyond this segment which is already under construction, the rest of the gap (between Montrose and Davis) is not expected to enter final design until 2025 and is not expected to break ground until 2031.

Apparently they're currently reevaluating the impact it may have on endangered species although they don't explain why they think it will take until nine years from now to even start designing the road.

The bypass of Wardensville is actually scheduled ahead of this, for design in 2020 and groundbreaking in 2027.

I infer two things from all this:
- the long schedule is likely due to relative lack of funding availability, which means it could be sped up if the state finds a way to throw more money at it.
- they're looking to do the Wardensville section next probably at least in part because it is less mired by environmental concerns and therefore easier to get moving. Perhaps also in part on account of traffic counts on the existing road being higher over there (at least they seemed to be, anecdotally, from the meet tour).