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West Virginia
seicer:
I always thought they were novel and active until I walked up to see them a few years back. I hadn't realized they were closed off and just walked right in (the padlocks had long been cut). It smelled to high heaven of urine, and there was evidence of people sleeping there. The highway is looking a little long in the tooth so this should help alleviate some of the visual issues. I hope they can get around to rehabbing the pavement soon, too.
sprjus4:
--- Quote from: SP Cook on January 17, 2023, 11:20:44 AM ---
--- Quote from: GCrites80s on January 16, 2023, 08:54:00 PM ---WV is an aging state demographically and I wonder how many seniors it would force off the roads. WV isn't like Ohio and many other states where one can often take the U.S. or former U.S. route that parallels the interstate without adding hours and hours to the trip. 70 is manageable for many seniors but 80 is pushing it.
--- End quote ---
"Things said about ending 55, then 65, but were dead wrong." ??
Actually, the only parts of the WV interstate system that should not be at least 80 are the mis-designed northern third of the Turnpike, a short urban section through Charleston and a yet shorter section through Wheeling. Corridors, which most also need a large amount of stop light removal, could almost all go to 70 or 75.
--- End quote ---
The corridors were actually authorized for 70 mph previously, but was then removed because it wouldn’t be “practical” or “safe”. I haven’t driven a lot of the corridors, but I do remember US-19 between I-77 and I-79 last year, and most of the road could easily a posted speed limit of 70 mph, especially if some of the signals were removed.
As far as the 80 mph interstate speed limit… I do recall I-79 being a quite curvy route the last couple times I drove on it… many of the curves could not safely be taken above 70 or 75 mph in a large vehicle… I was maintaining 75-80 mph and a lot of the curves were decently sharp… I couldn’t see them making 80 mph the speed limit, unless they posted curve advisories for 65 or 70 mph every couple miles.
hbelkins:
Corridors D (US 50), H (US 48), L (US 19) and that portion of Q (US 460) east of I-77, can easily be driven at 70 mph without issue. Most of Corridor G (US 119), not so much.
1995hoo:
I took at look at the 80-mph bill and what I found interesting was its wording. The resolution the legislature passed a few years ago gave the state DOT the authority to post 75-mph speed limits but didn't require such. The bill now in committee seems to give the DOT less discretion, although surely there is some other provision that would allow for discretion to post lower limits where appropriate. The West Virginia Turnpike's twisty section comes to mind as one that should never be posted at 80 mph.
I also don't know how West Virginia defines "four-lane limited access highways" and whether roads like Corridor H qualify. I note that West Virginia road signs use the word "freeway" to refer to some divided highways with at-grade intersections and that's what prompts me to wonder.
--- Quote ---WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE
2023 REGULAR SESSION
Introduced
Senate Bill 34
By Senator Karnes
[Introduced January 11, 2023; referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure]
A BILL to amend and reenact §17C-6-2 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to the establishment of an 80 miles per hour speed limit on interstate highways and four-lane limited access highways in this state; and providing an exception for portions of those highways passing through city limits.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
ARTICLE 6. SPEED RESTRICTIONS.
§17C-6-2. Establishment of state speed zones.
(a) Whenever the State Road Commissioner shall determine upon the basis of an engineering and traffic investigation that any speed limit set forth in this article is greater or less than is reasonable or safe under the conditions found to exist at any intersection or other place or upon any part of a highway, said the commissioner may determine and declare a reasonable and safe speed limit thereat which shall be effective at all times or during hours of daylight or darkness or at such other times as may be determined when appropriate signs giving notice thereof are erected at such intersection or other place or part of the highway.
(b) Effective July 1, 2023, the commissioner shall establish a speed limit of 80 miles per hour on interstate highways and four-lane limited access highways in this state: Provided, That this increased speed limit does not apply to portions of interstate highways and four-lane limited access highways that pass through the city limits of municipalities.
--- End quote ---
(edited to add the second paragraph prior to the quoted bill)
seicer:
Corridor routes and areas with strict access control would qualify as "four-lane limited access highways" in this bill. That would include all Corridor routes and a few specific other highways - such as US 250 south of Wheeling, WV 2 south of Weirton, WV 43, WV 9, US 33 east of Elkins, US 340, etc. I think we've debated freeways versus expressways here before, but West Virginia believes that some of its expressways are freeways even though they have at-grade intersections.
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