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[Buummu]

I heard that the new interstates I-73/I-74 (probably meaningless routing) plans to go through Ohio Valley... so, any updates? I just learned that the Portsmouth Bypass is a go.... construction starting in 2011.. and it is supposed to be a part of I-73/I-74 routing... (even though ODOT does not admit)... is there other updates going on around the area?

[Buummu]

I am sure someone knows there are updates...

[vtk]

As far as I'm aware, the Portsmouth Bypass (OH-823) is proceeding on its own merits. Yes, if I-73 were to be built, OH-823 would almost certainly be part of it, but ODOT/TRAC believes the bypass is important for the traffic that already exists without I-73.

[seicer]

None, Buummu. No programmed upgrades to the AA Highway in Kentucky, sans the Maysville bypass bypass, which doesn't favor free flowing movements for the AA Highway anyways.

[Grzrd]

I-66 is worth fighting for, and when it is completed it will yield one of the highest returns of any investment in infrastructure in West Virginia history.

are we anticipating now that all that hot air down in Washington DC will spontaneously ignite, necessitating an evacuation?

I have read this stuff before in another newspaper article regarding Mr. Swint's candidacy

(above two quotes from Corridor H thread)

Mr. Swint is now talking about I-73 in West Virginia:

... the commercially navigable nine miles of the Big Sandy River, a tiny stretch that could figure prominently into the overall logistics equation.
That's because of the Heartland Corridor project that has strategically positioned the soon-to-be completed Prichard Intermodal Facility on the Big Sandy in Wayne County for servicing double-stacked intermodal trains traveling from Virginia ports inland to the Midwest.
And one more transportation enhancement could put the Prichard Intermodal Facility on the national overland map, and that's the completion of Interstate 73 from the facility to the junction of Interstate 64, even if it's just a spur route initially.
That's because the decision-making process by developers specializing in warehousing and distribution typically view direct interstate highway access as a sine qua non for site selection.
By making these improvements a priority, West Virginia could take away rail-borne business from the Heartland Terminal, near Columbus, Ohio, compete for river-borne business with the Port of Pittsburgh and, perhaps, strategically forestall the proposed development of a new intermodal facility in Virginia ....

One small step ...

[SP Cook]

Further south:

http://www.wvgazettemail.com/News/201303020045

As to the Prichard IF, its greenlighted and under construction.  From it to I-64 is about 8 miles.  Currently a very good 2-lane (built from scratch in the early 70s).  The ROW for two more lanes (not an interstate) was acquired decades ago, before a change in political control redlighted construction. 

However, a look at a map shows that 4-lane US 23 is just across the Big Sandy (probably the least significant body of water to be a state border in the USA), and a bridge to link to it would be far less expensive, and would allow access to the competive CSX railroad (just as US 52 and US 23 are parallel there, the NS and CSX are likewise, and a bridge would allow shippers to play one off against the other.

[hbelkins]

Further south:

http://www.wvgazettemail.com/News/201303020045

I hope that court ruling gets overturned when it goes back up to the Supreme Court on appeal.

This was an innovative way to build a public project that otherwise might not have gotten done. We need to be encouraging more of this type of deal. Anything that can lower the construction costs of building new roads needs to be looked at, and if that means skirting prevailing wage laws, I'm all for it. Too bad if the unions get butt-hurt over it.

[vtk]

This morning I heard a news brief on WZZZ-FM which said ODOT is exploring the possibility of a Public-Private Partnership to complete the Portsmouth Bypass.  Last I'd heard, they were aquiring ROW for the middle third of the route, but no actual construction was scheduled.

Should posts about this project be split into its own thread?

[Grzrd]

As far as I'm aware, the Portsmouth Bypass (OH-823) is proceeding on its own merits.

In this draft endorsement letter, local representatives tout the importance of I-73 in regard to the Portsmouth Bypass:

Important Economic Development and Transportation Link: The I-73 connection of six states has been ongoing since the 1970’s. The intention of this inter-connection of highway improvements is to facilitate commerce, improve safety and reduce congestion. The US-23 and US-52 connection through Portsmouth is a significant restriction and the Bypass will clear another hurdle towards the development of the I-73 by removing the affect of this impediment. The development of I-73 and the Bypass will provide the vital connectivity to efficient commerce flow ....

[seicer]

Thankfully, local representatives have little say in statewide and regional transportation matters. Even if local leaders were to push for such an interstate, you still have many miles of US 23 between Portsmouth and Columbus that are at-grade with tons of driveway and farm entrances. And in West Virginia, the King Coal/Tulsia Highway projects are being built to corridor standards with intersections and interchanges, and even then - it's going to be a long-shot to get it finished.

I find those silly "I-73/74 Corridor" signs in West Virginia - not even using the standard interstate shields (prohibited by FHWA?), to be overblown.

[hbelkins]

Thankfully, local representatives have little say in statewide and regional transportation matters.

If that was true, then I-69 would already be under construction between Bloomington and Indy.

Even if local leaders were to push for such an interstate, you still have many miles of US 23 between Portsmouth and Columbus that are at-grade with tons of driveway and farm entrances.

Which is perfectly fine for that route. It doesn't need to be an interstate. The existing Appalachian Corridor B works just fine.

I find those silly "I-73/74 Corridor" signs in West Virginia - not even using the standard interstate shields (prohibited by FHWA?), to be overblown.

I doubt FHWA prohibits them, given all the future interstate signs that are out there (22, 66, 69, 74, etc.). I think the WV signs use the name of the corridor as defined in the original enabling legislation (TEA-21, I think).

[vtk]

Even if local leaders were to push for such an interstate, you still have many miles of US 23 between Portsmouth and Columbus that are at-grade with tons of driveway and farm entrances.

Which is perfectly fine for that route. It doesn't need to be an interstate. The existing Appalachian Corridor B works just fine.

It could use some "access management" touch-ups in a few spots, IMO — but I agree there isn't a pressing need for full Interstate conversion within the decade.  North of Columbus, on the other hand… don't get me started.

[hbelkins]

It could use some "access management" touch-ups in a few spots, IMO — but I agree there isn't a pressing need for full Interstate conversion within the decade.  North of Columbus, on the other hand… don't get me started.

I don't even think an interstate is needed there. At least not north of Delaware.

[seicer]

* US 52 from Airport to Prichard

US 52 will be widened or relocated to a new four-lane alignment between the half-complete WV 75 interchange in Ceredo to Prichard. Work is set to begin in September 2020 and cost $150 million, funded through the Drive Forward WV project. I am unsure of the alignment other than it will cross Gragston Creek near Zims Lane along the existing alignment, as the newer bridge over the creek was built to consider a twin span adjacent to it (https://goo.gl/maps/53H5MQaoao77vfVz5)

* Mountain View to County Route 10

This involves paving 5 miles of two-lanes of the four-lane roadbed between Mountain View (https://goo.gl/maps/AiDMGgaL2gTW3AWN9 and CO 10 (https://goo.gl/maps/uKQYkEDfb52ipHE3A) and constructing the Gilbert connector. Work is set to begin in April 2020 and cost $40 million. If anyone remembers the road meet we had a decade or so ago, this is next to the Twisted Gun golf course.

[hbelkins]

Each time I have gone across the new routing by the Mingo Central High School, they've made more and more earth-moving progress beyond the WV 44 connector. They've had some major settling along the connector between new and old US 52. Last time I was there, both routes were marked as US 52.

[sprjus4]

* US 52 from Airport to Prichard

US 52 will be widened or relocated to a new four-lane alignment between the half-complete WV 75 interchange in Ceredo to Prichard. Work is set to begin in September 2020 and cost $150 million, funded through the Drive Forward WV project. I am unsure of the alignment other than it will cross Gragston Creek near Zims Lane along the existing alignment, as the newer bridge over the creek was built to consider a twin span adjacent to it (https://goo.gl/maps/53H5MQaoao77vfVz5)

* Mountain View to County Route 10

This involves paving 5 miles of two-lanes of the four-lane roadbed between Mountain View (https://goo.gl/maps/AiDMGgaL2gTW3AWN9 and CO 10 (https://goo.gl/maps/uKQYkEDfb52ipHE3A) and constructing the Gilbert connector. Work is set to begin in April 2020 and cost $40 million. If anyone remembers the road meet we had a decade or so ago, this is next to the Twisted Gun golf course.

Finally, more of the paper highway is actually becoming reality.

[Bitmapped]

* US 52 from Airport to Prichard

US 52 will be widened or relocated to a new four-lane alignment between the half-complete WV 75 interchange in Ceredo to Prichard. Work is set to begin in September 2020 and cost $150 million, funded through the Drive Forward WV project. I am unsure of the alignment other than it will cross Gragston Creek near Zims Lane along the existing alignment, as the newer bridge over the creek was built to consider a twin span adjacent to it (https://goo.gl/maps/53H5MQaoao77vfVz5)

* Mountain View to County Route 10

This involves paving 5 miles of two-lanes of the four-lane roadbed between Mountain View (https://goo.gl/maps/AiDMGgaL2gTW3AWN9 and CO 10 (https://goo.gl/maps/uKQYkEDfb52ipHE3A) and constructing the Gilbert connector. Work is set to begin in April 2020 and cost $40 million. If anyone remembers the road meet we had a decade or so ago, this is next to the Twisted Gun golf course.

Finally, more of the paper highway is actually becoming reality.

This, and completion from US 460 to WV 123, are the only parts of the King Coal/Tolsia corridor that will be built for the foreseeable future. There's no money to build more of the route, WV has more pressing needs for the money available in areas that are growing, and these areas are rapidly depopulating.

[seicer]

Which is why it's being built as a two-lane highway. But even still, the amount of earth moving required basically necessitates building on a four-lane right-of-way, and the cost savings are not that great.

[hbelkins]

This, and completion from US 460 to WV 123, are the only parts of the King Coal/Tolsia corridor that will be built for the foreseeable future. There's no money to build more of the route, WV has more pressing needs for the money available in areas that are growing, and these areas are rapidly depopulating.

The purpose of projects like this is to induce demand.

[Tom958]

* US 52 from Airport to Prichard

US 52 will be widened or relocated to a new four-lane alignment between the half-complete WV 75 interchange in Ceredo to Prichard. Work is set to begin in September 2020 and cost $150 million, funded through the Drive Forward WV project. I am unsure of the alignment other than it will cross Gragston Creek near Zims Lane along the existing alignment, as the newer bridge over the creek was built to consider a twin span adjacent to it (https://goo.gl/maps/53H5MQaoao77vfVz5)

Did this actually happen?

[hbelkins]

* US 52 from Airport to Prichard

US 52 will be widened or relocated to a new four-lane alignment between the half-complete WV 75 interchange in Ceredo to Prichard. Work is set to begin in September 2020 and cost $150 million, funded through the Drive Forward WV project. I am unsure of the alignment other than it will cross Gragston Creek near Zims Lane along the existing alignment, as the newer bridge over the creek was built to consider a twin span adjacent to it (https://goo.gl/maps/53H5MQaoao77vfVz5)

Did this actually happen?

Drove through there back in the spring, and didn't see any signs of construction at the WV 75 interchange.