New I-64 bridge opens in Charleston, WV

[hbelkins]

Who in the world came up with the idea of shifting traffic at 7 a.m. in a spot where the backups from morning rush are already terrible?

http://wowktv.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=85814

[mightyace]

Sounds like something they'd do here in Tennessee.

I swear that TDOT's motto is, "You can't get there from here!"

[jjakucyk]

I was a little confused at first until I realized that South Charleston is actually northwest of Charleston proper. 

[SP Cook]

A total CF.  The worst traffic mess I have been in in almost 20 years of making that commute.  Whoever was incharge of this should be fired.  The story fails to mention that, for reasons I cannot figure out, only 2 lanes of the fully complete 4 lane bridge are opened, a confusing zig-zag path of temporary lines and orange barrels.  Further both sides of the bridge's abutments are not yet paved up even to the road, forcing traffic to slow and causing congestion behind.

The entire project has been hamstrug by trying to keep the MacCorkle Ave exit open, when there is an exit one mile one either side that will take you to surface streets that are fully adequate.

As to South Charleston, it is actually south of a part of Charleston.  It is just that you pass through part of SC on I-64 west of the part of Charleston you pass through.   South Charleston (a town)  is directly south of North Charleston (a neighborhood of Charleston).

[hbelkins]

SP, I figured you'd get caught up in that mess this morning on your way in to work.

How are they going to maintain traffic when they convert the old bridge to one-way westbound?

[SP Cook]

I'm told that they will simply rehab the eastbound half of the old bridge while traffic is maintained in the current lanes, then swap traffic to those and rehab the other half.  The Jersey barrier type seperation between the lanes is actually removable very easily.  The old bridge is in bad shape.  We will end up, after 15 years of construction, with four lanes in each direction.

[ShawnP]

Came thru this weekend and it's still a Orange Barrell rat trap. I was wondereding about the westbound bridge. From the bottom on the westbound the new bridge is somewhat asthetically pleasing. Now to get a new Kanawah river bridge.

[Alex]

Came thru this weekend and it's still a Orange Barrell rat trap. I was wondereding about the westbound bridge. From the bottom on the westbound the new bridge is somewhat asthetically pleasing. Now to get a new Kanawah river bridge.

There were two through lanes and one auxiliary lane open when we drove over it last weekend. Only the left-hand shoulder was closed.

[SP Cook]

Finally finished.  Final stripe layed down and signage changed this afternoon. 

The eastbound bridge consists of four lanes.  Three through lanes and a dedicated right lane that comes from the Dunbar on-ramp and forces down the MacCorkle Ave off ramp in South Charleston.  This eliminates the morning bottleneck in Dunbar that has existed for over 13 years, as 64 between Nitro and Dunbar was six-laned that long ago, forcing a "squeeze" over to cross the 2 lane bridge.  64 is now a six lane eastbound from the Nitro on-ramp through to its merge into 77 in downtown Charleston. 

Work continues to convert the old bridge to westbound only duty, where it will likewise have a four lane configuration.  The state has unspecified and "unfunded" plans to eventually continue the six-lane project west from Nitro to Huntington, but will the project will mostly now work west to east.

[wriddle082]

Work continues to convert the old bridge to westbound only duty, where it will likewise have a four lane configuration.  The state has unspecified and "unfunded" plans to eventually continue the six-lane project west from Nitro to Huntington, but will the project will mostly now work west to east.

What are the ideas being thrown around to deal with the St. Albans-Nitro steel truss bridge?  Will it be twinned?  Will it be replaced outright?  Either scenerio would cause major problems with the St. Albans exit (former US 35, now WV some-3-digit-route) since the ramps begin/end very close to the western approach.  I suppose the new US 35 exit could serve St. Albans temporarily, but it would certainly be a strain on the roads through Scott Depot.

[SP Cook]

What are the ideas being thrown around to deal with the St. Albans-Nitro steel truss bridge?  Will it be twinned?  Will it be replaced outright?  Either scenerio would cause major problems with the St. Albans exit (former US 35, now WV some-3-digit-route) since the ramps begin/end very close to the western approach.  I suppose the new US 35 exit could serve St. Albans temporarily, but it would certainly be a strain on the roads through Scott Depot.

WV 817

This is all long-term, because this is "unfunded" (whatever that means).   The state will now go to the Huntington end and work east.  Most of the bridges on 64 west of the bridge you are taking about and east of Kentucky have been rebuilt and already have a thrid lane added, striped over as an extra large median today.  The next project might be from Hal Greer to the Huntington Mall.   Then probably from the mall to Teays Valley, and then some work west of Hal Greer.  This would make the bridge the "last gap".  By that point we are probably talking 20 years from now.  Who knows what shape it would be in at that point?  If I had to guess, I would think a new bridge for westbound slightly north of the current location would be the best idea.