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Author Topic: West Virginia  (Read 106806 times)

seicer

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Re: West Virginia (excuding Eastern Panhandle)
« Reply #125 on: December 10, 2019, 09:30:47 AM »

State moving forward with less expensive plan for Culloden interchange

The West Virginia Division of Highways has selected a less expensive alternative as the preferred plan to build an interchange connecting U.S. 60 in Culloden to Interstate 64.

The preferred plan will still displace 10 residences in the Whites Mobile Home Park off Virginia Avenue and one business, but will not require a bridge to be built over the railroad track.

[...]

The project includes the replacement of bridges heading eastbound and westbound over Benedict Road, also known as County Route 60. Crews will add a diamond-shaped interchange at these bridges, near mile marker 32, and upgrade Benedict Road to a three-lane connector to Virginia Avenue. They will also add a new connection from Benedict Road and Virginia Avenue to U.S. 60.

--

Details with alternatives mapped out: http://transportation.wv.gov/highways/engineering/comment/cullodeninterchange/Pages/default.aspx

seicer

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Re: West Virginia (excuding Eastern Panhandle)
« Reply #126 on: December 17, 2019, 03:10:00 PM »

The forthcoming US 119/Corridor G improvements in the vicinity of Oakwood Road in Charleston are progressing with a far more cost-effective solution: R/J turns!

It seemed that there was a lot of local opposition to a freeway alternative because of the size and scope of the project - and of course, there is the cost. WVDOH gets a cost-savings and PR win.

seicer

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Re: West Virginia (excuding Eastern Panhandle)
« Reply #127 on: January 03, 2020, 11:43:56 AM »

I was pleasantly surprised to see WVDOH reconstruct the mainline and ramps of the short circa 1977 US 30 freeway in Chester with new concrete. A comparison of the prior conditions: https://goo.gl/maps/LwFFM1eaBoPmbzca9

Edit: Apparently this was done in late 2016-17 and was basically an unbonded concrete overlay on top of the existing pavement: https://www.reviewonline.com/news/local-news/2016/11/u-s-30-work-to-continue-into-next-year/

hbelkins

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Re: West Virginia (excuding Eastern Panhandle)
« Reply #128 on: January 03, 2020, 11:51:57 AM »

I was pleasantly surprised to see WVDOH reconstruct the mainline and ramps of the short circa 1977 US 30 freeway in Chester with new concrete. A comparison of the prior conditions: https://goo.gl/maps/LwFFM1eaBoPmbzca9

Edit: Apparently this was done in late 2016-17 and was basically an unbonded concrete overlay on top of the existing pavement: https://www.reviewonline.com/news/local-news/2016/11/u-s-30-work-to-continue-into-next-year/

They were working on that when I was up that way a couple of years ago. They had westbound 30 closed and were forcing traffic onto the old route, to re-enter at WV 2 to cross the river.
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seicer

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Re: West Virginia (excuding Eastern Panhandle)
« Reply #129 on: January 29, 2020, 12:08:58 PM »

WVa officials seek someone to preserve historic bridge

West Virginia officials are trying to find someone interested in preserving a historic bridge connecting West Virginia and Ohio.

The Aetnaville Bridge, also known as the Georgia Street Bridge, was built in 1891. It lies over the back channel of the Ohio River from Wheeling Island, West Virginia, to Martins Ferry, Ohio.

The bridge was originally part of the streetcar system in Wheeling and later converted to a toll road for automobile traffic. It became toll-free in 1953 and was part of U.S. 252 until it was closed in 1988 due to deterioration.

hbelkins

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Re: West Virginia (excuding Eastern Panhandle)
« Reply #130 on: January 29, 2020, 02:02:45 PM »

WVa officials seek someone to preserve historic bridge

West Virginia officials are trying to find someone interested in preserving a historic bridge connecting West Virginia and Ohio.

The Aetnaville Bridge, also known as the Georgia Street Bridge, was built in 1891. It lies over the back channel of the Ohio River from Wheeling Island, West Virginia, to Martins Ferry, Ohio.

The bridge was originally part of the streetcar system in Wheeling and later converted to a toll road for automobile traffic. It became toll-free in 1953 and was part of U.S. 252 until it was closed in 1988 due to deterioration.

I'm pretty sure not even pedestrian traffic is allowed on that bridge now.
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74/171FAN

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Re: West Virginia (excuding Eastern Panhandle)
« Reply #131 on: January 29, 2020, 04:23:00 PM »

WVa officials seek someone to preserve historic bridge

West Virginia officials are trying to find someone interested in preserving a historic bridge connecting West Virginia and Ohio.

The Aetnaville Bridge, also known as the Georgia Street Bridge, was built in 1891. It lies over the back channel of the Ohio River from Wheeling Island, West Virginia, to Martins Ferry, Ohio.

The bridge was originally part of the streetcar system in Wheeling and later converted to a toll road for automobile traffic. It became toll-free in 1953 and was part of U.S. 252 until it was closed in 1988 due to deterioration.

I'm pretty sure not even pedestrian traffic is allowed on that bridge now.

I think they meant US 250...
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hbelkins

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Re: West Virginia (excuding Eastern Panhandle)
« Reply #132 on: January 30, 2020, 01:36:03 PM »

WVa officials seek someone to preserve historic bridge

West Virginia officials are trying to find someone interested in preserving a historic bridge connecting West Virginia and Ohio.

The Aetnaville Bridge, also known as the Georgia Street Bridge, was built in 1891. It lies over the back channel of the Ohio River from Wheeling Island, West Virginia, to Martins Ferry, Ohio.

The bridge was originally part of the streetcar system in Wheeling and later converted to a toll road for automobile traffic. It became toll-free in 1953 and was part of U.S. 252 until it was closed in 1988 due to deterioration.

I'm pretty sure not even pedestrian traffic is allowed on that bridge now.

I think they meant US 250...

Actually, they meant WV 252. The bridge still carries that inventory number, even though it's closed. The Wheeling suspension bridge is unsigned WV 251.
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Bitmapped

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Re: West Virginia (excuding Eastern Panhandle)
« Reply #133 on: January 31, 2020, 10:59:27 AM »

WVa officials seek someone to preserve historic bridge

West Virginia officials are trying to find someone interested in preserving a historic bridge connecting West Virginia and Ohio.

The Aetnaville Bridge, also known as the Georgia Street Bridge, was built in 1891. It lies over the back channel of the Ohio River from Wheeling Island, West Virginia, to Martins Ferry, Ohio.

The bridge was originally part of the streetcar system in Wheeling and later converted to a toll road for automobile traffic. It became toll-free in 1953 and was part of U.S. 252 until it was closed in 1988 due to deterioration.

I'm pretty sure not even pedestrian traffic is allowed on that bridge now.

The bridge has been fenced off and closed to everyone for four years. WVDOH stopped doing inspections on the bridge when it closed to vehicular traffic. They finally did a new inspection in Fall 2015 that determined the bridge could barely support its own weight and was at imminent risk of failure.
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ixnay

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Re: West Virginia (excuding Eastern Panhandle)
« Reply #134 on: February 06, 2020, 08:23:55 AM »

http://wvmetronews.com/2020/02/03/part-of-i-70-westbound-in-wheeling-officially-closed-for-next-nine-months/

I'm surprised nobody else on this has picked up on this, nor on the closure of the old suspension bridge (except to peds and bicyclists)...

From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheeling_Suspension_Bridge

ixnay
« Last Edit: February 06, 2020, 08:29:07 AM by ixnay »
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SP Cook

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Re: West Virginia (excuding Eastern Panhandle)
« Reply #135 on: February 06, 2020, 09:39:47 AM »

Unmentioned in the story is that one can simply avoid the whole deal via the I-470 Wheeling bypass, which is actually shorter than I-70.  You can actually see one Ohio River bridge from the other.   

Wheeling or Macon GA have to be in a competition for the least important places to get a 3di bypass. 
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Re: West Virginia (excuding Eastern Panhandle)
« Reply #136 on: February 07, 2020, 03:24:14 PM »

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mgk920

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Re: West Virginia (excuding Eastern Panhandle)
« Reply #137 on: February 07, 2020, 10:29:07 PM »

Total mess, weather not helping.

https://www.wsaz.com/content/news/Bridge-on-I-64-near-Nitro-shut-down-567622611.html

Big Rig Steve was caught up in that mess - he ended up having to spend the night last night (logbook rules) on the shoulder of EB I-64 just west of interchange 44 (trip from Columbus, OH to Charlotte, NC).

 :-o

Mike
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hbelkins

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Re: West Virginia (excuding Eastern Panhandle)
« Reply #138 on: February 08, 2020, 08:34:03 PM »

Total mess, weather not helping.

https://www.wsaz.com/content/news/Bridge-on-I-64-near-Nitro-shut-down-567622611.html

There's really no good way around that if you get hung up in traffic close to it. Exit soon enough, and you can make your way over to Winfield and cross there, or go from Hurricane to Hamlin, then via WV 3 to US 119. I'm guessing traffic was dog-knotted well before the WV 34 exit at Teays Valley.
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SP Cook

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Re: West Virginia (excuding Eastern Panhandle)
« Reply #139 on: February 10, 2020, 10:24:48 AM »

There's really no good way around that if you get hung up in traffic close to it. Exit soon enough, and you can make your way over to Winfield and cross there.


Yeah, it was a total mess.  Weather did not help.  Teays Valley was full of truckers and tourists, going in all directions, including the opposite direction from another trucker or tourist as different GPS failures suggested a plethora of alternate routes.  The weather pretty much gummed up all the alternatives. 

US 35 traffic mostly took the “Toyota Bridge”  or the Winfield Bridge and tried to make their way down WV 62 to the Nitro exit.  Some I-64 traffic also tried this, using WV 34 to Winfield.  Traffic on WV 62 through the town of Poca was taking an hour to an hour and a half to go one mile.

If one stayed on I-64, the cops just exited everyone onto WV 817 (old US 35) down to US 60 and then through St. Albans to South Charleston.  Others were exiting at Exit 39 and taking the local Teays Valley Road, CR 33, which parallels 64 and JCT with 817 at the same point.  Traffic through St. Albans was running one to two hours to get 4 miles.  Another alternative was to take the Hurricane exit and WV 34 South to its JCT with US 60, which ends up in St. Albans as well.

Other alternatives were to take the route you describe, WV 34 South to West Hamlin and WV 214 to US 119, or CR 1 to Alum Creek and US 119, but the snow zapped these.  My plan for Friday was what is know alternately as Poplar Fork Road, Scott Depot Road, or Coal Mountain Road, CR 46, to US 60.  It is closed to trucks and gets down to one lane for about a mile, but the snow zapped it as well.

Ended up calling in “road impassible”  to work for the first time in nearly 30 years.

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hbelkins

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Re: West Virginia (excuding Eastern Panhandle)
« Reply #140 on: February 10, 2020, 11:01:47 AM »

I figured there might be some county routes known only to locals that could be used. I know I've been across the road that connects Hurricane to US 35.

There are lots more options available to long-distance travelers if they know how to find them. If the destination beyond Charleston was somewhere on 64 east or 77 south, you were stuck, but anyone wanting to go north on 77 or 79 should have used WV 2 over to Ravenswood. If the destination was Clarksburg or beyond on 79, then US 50 (Corridor D) will get you there.

I haven't used Waze enough to know if it will offer up a long-distance detour like that, or if it just tries to give you an immediate route around the closure.

I remember a trip a few years ago where I was weighing I-64/I-77 or WV 2 to get from Charleston to Parkersburg. A paving project on I-64 that had traffic dog-knotted tipped the scales for me on that one. WV 2 it was.
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seicer

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Re: West Virginia (excuding Eastern Panhandle)
« Reply #141 on: February 10, 2020, 11:35:13 AM »

Part of the problem in more mountainous or hilly terrain is the lack of viable alternative routes. If you get caught in an accident on the West Virginia Turnpike, you're screwed. If you try to get around it, it's even worse. Those Turnpike "detours" are extreme.

hbelkins

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Re: West Virginia (excuding Eastern Panhandle)
« Reply #142 on: February 10, 2020, 03:16:32 PM »

Part of the problem in more mountainous or hilly terrain is the lack of viable alternative routes. If you get caught in an accident on the West Virginia Turnpike, you're screwed. If you try to get around it, it's even worse. Those Turnpike "detours" are extreme.

True. And after that big snowstorm a few years ago that prompted the marked Turnpike detours, that's why they installed some removable gates along the barrier walls. I forgot the increments, I think maybe every five miles. If something happens that's going to block the Turnpike for an extended period, they can open those gates and get traffic turned around going the other direction.

Anytime something happens on I-75 in Kentucky, US 25 gets jam-packed. But if that traffic was headed to Louisville, and the backup was north of Mt. Vernon, then US 150 would definitely be a viable alternative.
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seicer

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Re: West Virginia (excuding Eastern Panhandle)
« Reply #143 on: April 08, 2020, 09:10:28 AM »

A bit of history of Memorial Bridge, which at one point was signed as US Route 50, US Route 50 Truck, and US Route 50 Alternate. From http://parkersburgcity.com/pc/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/43971_2019-09-12_PMB_RFP_Bridge-Sale_Final.pdf

"At the Ohio end of the Memorial Bridge, U.S. Route 50 was relocated, improved to modern standards as a
four‐lane highway, and opened to traffic in September 1964.  The improvement included direct connections to
and from the Memorial Bridge.  U.S. Route 50 though, was routed south along Main Street and across the old
Parkersburg‐Belpre Bridge into Parkersburg.  In 1966, the State Road Commission of West Virginia and the Ohio
Department of Highways established the official U.S. Route 50 Truck Route over the Memorial Bridge, and
through Parkersburg via Green Street, 8th Street and Murdoch Avenue westbound and Garfield Avenue, 4th
Street and Green Street eastbound.  Signs designating this route were posted."

"At the West Virginia end of the Memorial Bridge, the State Road Commission had selected an alignment for the
continuation of relocated Route U.S. 50.   The selected alignment began at the Parkersburg approach to the
Memorial Bridge, proceeded easterly through Parkersburg, interchanged with Interstate Route 77 east of
Parkersburg, and rejoined existing U.S. Route 50 at Deerwalk.  Construction of the sections of this improved
four‐lane divided highway east of Interstate Route 77 has been completed.  Construction of the differentsections
west of Interstate Route 77 from the Memorial Bridge through the City of Parkersburg was postponed because
of heavy opposition to the alignment.  Funds earmarked for this project were transferred to other viable projects. 
However, recent efforts have begun to complete U.S. Route 50 between Parkersburg and Cincinnati, Ohio.  The
five‐mile portion in West Virginia represented one ofsix sections of U.S. Route 50 that have not been completed. 
The West Virginia Division of Highways proceeded with the preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement
that covered several alternative alignments including the alignment noted above.  The Environmental Impact
Statement was completed in the late 1990’s and the selected route in West Virginia designated Corridor “D”  of
the Appalachian Highway System was in various stages of design and construction.  This route passes over the
Ohio River and Blennerhassett Island."

Deerwalk is about 10 miles east of Interstate 77.

hbelkins

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Re: West Virginia (excuding Eastern Panhandle)
« Reply #144 on: April 08, 2020, 12:06:46 PM »

Memorial Bridge -- is that the downtown bridge that used to carry US 50 until the new Blennerhassett Bridge was completed, or the old toll bridge that's upstream?
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Re: West Virginia (excuding Eastern Panhandle)
« Reply #145 on: April 08, 2020, 03:46:13 PM »

Toll bridge upstream.

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Re: West Virginia (excuding Eastern Panhandle)
« Reply #146 on: April 13, 2020, 01:08:38 PM »

Looking at GSV of that bridge area is amusing.  Where WV 68 meets it, there's a cool old sign that points "Short Way West to US 50 & OH 7"

But at the same intersection, a "To US 50" sign is also pointing to the South
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hbelkins

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Re: West Virginia (excuding Eastern Panhandle)
« Reply #147 on: April 14, 2020, 11:16:41 AM »

Looking at GSV of that bridge area is amusing.  Where WV 68 meets it, there's a cool old sign that points "Short Way West to US 50 & OH 7"

But at the same intersection, a "To US 50" sign is also pointing to the South

The "cool old sign" is there to advertise for a privately-owned toll bridge. The "To US 50" sign is a WVDOT installation. Although it's a pain to navigate the traffic lights through Parkersburg, especially now that US 50 runs south of the downtown area.
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Re: West Virginia (excuding Eastern Panhandle)
« Reply #148 on: April 14, 2020, 11:42:35 AM »

Corridor D is absolutely on my short list of post-COVID roadtrips.

I have done Corridors H and L in WV (minus the US 19 connector to the Turnpike)

I don't know if I've come across an ADHS Corridor I didn't like
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hbelkins

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Re: West Virginia (excuding Eastern Panhandle)
« Reply #149 on: April 14, 2020, 01:53:12 PM »

Corridor D is absolutely on my short list of post-COVID roadtrips.

I have done Corridors H and L in WV (minus the US 19 connector to the Turnpike)

I don't know if I've come across an ADHS Corridor I didn't like

You might not like some of the ones in Tennessee and Kentucky. Many of them are conventional improved two-lane roads -- think "super-2" but with normal at-grade intersections. And from what I gather, the US 119 connection across Pine Mountain will never be built.

As for the ones you mention, Corridor D becomes much less interesting after you cross US 62 going west.
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