West Virginia

[seicer]

The Oak Hill/Fayetteville Wal-Mart may carry them in the same area that also sells WV-themed sports apparel. Adventures on the Gorge (north side of the bridge, west of the visitors center) has a large gift shop with themed shirts, too. I recall ACE Adventure Gear (Fayetteville) having a decent selection at one point.

[hbelkins]

The Oak Hill/Fayetteville Wal-Mart may carry them in the same area that also sells WV-themed sports apparel. Adventures on the Gorge (north side of the bridge, west of the visitors center) has a large gift shop with themed shirts, too. I recall ACE Adventure Gear (Fayetteville) having a decent selection at one point.

Adventures on the Gorge is where we had our host state dinner during the AASHTO TransComm conference in 2016.

[seicer]

The Dunbar Toll Bridge is slated for replacement:

• Handout
• Further Details

[SP Cook]

I have always found it odd that people, and especially the WV DOH still call it, and the one in Winfield, "toll bridge".  The tolls were taken off, IIRC, about 1975.

[hbelkins]

I have always found it odd that people, and especially the WV DOH still call it, and the one in Winfield, "toll bridge".  The tolls were taken off, IIRC, about 1975.

My uncle who lives in Shepherdsville still calls it "the turnpike" even though the tolls have been off I-65, and the Kentucky Turnpike signage and designation removed, for decades now. Old habits die hard.

[74/171FAN]

Governor Jim Justice Breaks Ground on Beckley Z-Way Project, Paving the Way for Improved Traffic and Economic Growth (for relocated US 19)

[theredheadted]

West Virginia was just awarded $87 million to replace the Market Street Bridge crossing the Ohio River at Steubenville, OH. This 1905 WV-owned bridge closed last year after inspections turned up failures in its cables. https://wvmetronews.com/2024/07/12/funding-provided-for-market-bridge-replacement/

WVDOH rehabbed this bridge around 2010. The plan had been for it to be permanently closed after the Wellsburg Bridge was completed, which happened last year, but the locals have been unhappy about that. Personally, I don't see a need to rebuild this bridge with the US 22 crossing just north of here and the new Wellsburg crossing a couple miles south.

I live up here in the panhandle, and yeah, there's a lot of local advocacy for keeping that connection. The Market Street bridge is (was) a heavily used alternate for the US22 bridge. And there are a few reasons for this: 1) US22 has been under construction for at least the last year+ with backups happening somewhat consistently and closures less frequently. It's enough that having the option to use the Market Street bridge came in handy. 2) It's a "surface street" connection between WV2 and Steubenville. Anecdotally speaking, some drivers I know simply prefer not dealing with the interstate speeds and limited access of US22. 3) It's actually faster, westbound, to go from Weirton to downtown Steubenville (as well as other neighborhoods in Steubenville) using the Market Street bridge, especially with the redesign of the interchange/intersection of US22, OH7, and University Blvd.

I certainly admit that maintaining two bridges over the Ohio River right next to each other between two cities with a combined, immediate-area population of roughly 50,000 people may not be cost-effective. But the Market Street bridge serves as a secondary link for the largest population center(s) on that stretch of the river, provides a reasonably direct alternative crossing for US22 (for at least some traffic) if the Vet's Bridge is closed or backed up, and reduces travel time for some trips depending on destinations. Plus, the Wellsburg bridge is too far south to be an effective replacement for the function the Market Street bridge served. (E.g. from downtown Weirton to downtown Steubenville, across the Market Street bridge was 4 miles. To use the Wellsburg bridge for the same purpose would add 16.6 miles to that trip.)

[Bitmapped]

WVDOH has a project going out to bid in November to reconfigure WV 869 and WV 817 by the Buffalo Bridge over the Kanawha River to form a a quadrant road-type configuration. WV 817 will be restored to a straight-through alignment, and traffic going between new US 35 and WV 62 across the Buffalo Bridge on WV 869 will be able to continue straight through. Turns will be required to go between WV 869 and WV 817.

This roadway has been the scene of a number of truck rollover accidents due to a sharper curve and then 90-degree turn required to stay on WV 869. This project should eliminate that.

BidX (free account required): https://ui.bidx.com/WVDOT/lettings/NOV1924/proposals/2022400003

[seicer]

It's been a while since I've been on BidX, but I noticed that there will be a significant sign renovation project for Interstate 77 and 79 in Charleston. It looks like those Corten steel gantries will be removed, and many of the signs will be refreshed. It's a matter of time before the remaining Corten gantries in the area are taken down - they are past their life expectancies, and the vibrations from passing vehicles have caused deterioration - which is why many of them were removed years ago.

https://ui.bidx.com/WVDOT/lettings/NOV1924/proposals/2022200001

[hbelkins]

It's been a while since I've been on BidX, but I noticed that there will be a significant sign renovation project for Interstate 77 and 79 in Charleston. It looks like those Corten steel gantries will be removed, and many of the signs will be refreshed. It's a matter of time before the remaining Corten gantries in the area are taken down - they are past their life expectancies, and the vibrations from passing vehicles have caused deterioration - which is why many of them were removed years ago.

https://ui.bidx.com/WVDOT/lettings/NOV1924/proposals/2022200001

They replaced all the signs and most of the gantries not all that long ago (relatively speaking). I haven't noticed any significant deterioration of the signage.

[Bitmapped]

It's been a while since I've been on BidX, but I noticed that there will be a significant sign renovation project for Interstate 77 and 79 in Charleston. It looks like those Corten steel gantries will be removed, and many of the signs will be refreshed. It's a matter of time before the remaining Corten gantries in the area are taken down - they are past their life expectancies, and the vibrations from passing vehicles have caused deterioration - which is why many of them were removed years ago.

https://ui.bidx.com/WVDOT/lettings/NOV1924/proposals/2022200001

They replaced all the signs and most of the gantries not all that long ago (relatively speaking). I haven't noticed any significant deterioration of the signage.

This project is specifically the parts of I-77 and I-79 north of I-64. A number of those signs still have periods on abbreviations, which WVDOH stopped doing around 20 years ago. The newest of those signs, on I-79, are a decade old, and from the sheets, it doesn't look like any of those are actually being removed or replaced.

The new signage includes West Virginia's first Arrow Per Lane signs, for the I-77/I-79 split.

[seicer]

Gov. Justice celebrates Roads to Prosperity anniversary and achievements with 1,320 highways members

Seven years ago, Gov. Jim Justice asked West Virginians to believe in his vision for transforming the state's infrastructure and approve a constitutional amendment allowing the largest bond sale in state history. The funds would be used to rebuild and maintain roads and bridges in every corner of the Mountain State.

Voters overwhelmingly answered the call, with 73% supporting the Governor's bold plan, giving rise to the $2.8 billion Roads to Prosperity program, the largest infrastructure investment West Virginia had ever seen.

Today, Gov. Justice joined 1,320 West Virginia Department of Transportation workers to celebrate the remarkable success of this program. Each highway worker held a card representing one of the 1,320 projects made possible by Roads to Prosperity, highlighting the significant improvements made across the state's infrastructure.

"This is absolutely one of the most important days in West Virginia history. We have accomplished things that nobody believed could have ever been possible. In fact, there were a lot of people that doubted this program. Despite the doubts, Toby and Edith made it known they were done being last, and they put their faith in the Roads to Prosperity program. We all believe in that vision now," Gov. Justice said.

"I look behind me at the 1,320 incredible DOT folks that represent the total number of projects that were on the books for decades. I cannot thank the folks at our Department of Transportation enough for the unbelievable work they've done and that they will continue to do. Roads are being fixed in every corner of West Virginia. We've created tens of thousands of jobs, our tourism is skyrocketing, and people around the world are taking notice.

"Roads to Prosperity started as a promise. I promised if West Virginians said yes on the bond vote that we'd do something that had never been done before. Today on this anniversary, I can say that we have delivered on that promise. Prosperity is HERE in West Virginia. We've planted the seeds for the future, and they will continue bringing prosperity for years to come. We are watching West Virginia become a powerhouse on the world stage, and we can thank Roads to Prosperity for laying the foundation."

Gov. Justice envisioned Roads to Prosperity as a way to create immediate jobs in West Virginia while addressing decades of underinvestment in the state's roads and bridges, spurring economic development across the Mountain State.

The program included major projects like the $224 million effort to replace or upgrade 26 bridges along Interstate 70 in Wheeling and the $254 million project to expand Interstate 64 to six lanes between Nitro and the US 35 exit, which also replaced the Donald M. Legg Memorial Bridge with two new spans.

Roads to Prosperity also funded smaller bridge, paving, and slide repair projects in every county—many of which might have remained untouched for years without this initiative.

To date, nearly all of the 1,320 Roads to Prosperity projects have been started or completed.

"Today is indeed the most important milestone in West Virginia's history,"  Secretary of the West Virginia Department of Transportation Jimmy Wriston, P.E. said. "When you talk about transportation in West Virginia, you are talking about the Roads to Prosperity program. Our infrastructure was off track due to decades and decades of underinvesting. The bold vision of Gov. Justice changed that. His vision got us on the launch pad for the rocketship ride. None of that would have made any difference if it wasn't for our DOT workers. We are all connected. That is the message the Governor instilled in us with his leadership. We are all pulling the rope together in the same direction, and our connections are much stronger.  Gov. Justice's Roads to Prosperity program has turned West Virginia around."

"Seven years ago, I had no idea how much transportation would shape our tourism, and now I know it's our biggest asset," Tourism Secretary Chelsea Ruby said. "We have come a long way, and what an absolute privilege it has been working so closely with our DOT. Gov. Justice's incredible vision for Roads to Prosperity and telling West Virginia's story has boosted our tourism like never before. We welcome 75 million visitors to our beautiful state each year, and they are all driving on our roads. Today, we celebrate how important our roads are to our tourism efforts. We proudly promote the country roads that have made West Virginia famous. We owe a huge thank you to Gov. Justice for his support and leadership. He has been our biggest advocate since day one, and West Virginia has become a world-class tourism destination."

--

Major projects undertaken under Roads to Prosperity include:

Donald M. Legg Memorial Bridge and I-64 Widening Project

Completing the Donald M. Legg Memorial Bridge project on Interstate 64 between the Nitro and St. Albans exits eliminates a significant bottleneck and improves driver safety on one of West Virginia's most heavily traveled interstates.

The project involved building a brand-new bridge just north of the old Donald Legg Bridge to carry westbound traffic. The old bridge was torn down, and a new bridge was erected on the existing bridge piers to carry eastbound traffic. Each bridge is four lanes wide, allowing motorists to travel between the Nitro and St. Albans exits without merging into traffic.
 
The work is part of an approximately $254 million project to upgrade I-64 to six lanes from Nitro to the US 35 exit. The project also called for the construction of five new bridges in addition to the new Donald M. Legg Memorial Bridge. Construction is expected to be finished by the end of October.
Interstate 70 Bridges

In 2019, work began on a massive project to replace or rehabilitate 26 different bridges in and around Interstate 70 in the Wheeling area, increasing safety for travelers and improving traffic flow once the project is complete.
 
One of the most ambitious projects ever undertaken by the West Virginia Department of Transportation, the approximately $224 million project replaces or rehabilitates infrastructure dating back to the 1950s, which would have been too expensive to undertake prior to Roads to Prosperity.
Corridor H

Corridor H was designed to open some of West Virginia's most remote areas in Grant, Tucker, and Hardy counties to economic development, connect the state's highlands to eastern ports, reduce travel times through the mountains, and provide a smoother, safer highway for both travelers and residents.

Stretching from Weston across central West Virginia to connect with Interstate 81 in Strasburg, Virginia, the completion of the four-lane Corridor H has been in progress for decades but had stalled for years. When Gov. Justice took office and launched his Roads to Prosperity program, additional funding was secured, allowing work on the corridor to resume.

Today, over 100 miles of Corridor H are open to traffic, with approximately 30 miles remaining.
Beckley Widening Project

The section of the West Virginia Turnpike around Beckley has historically been one of the most congested portions of the entire Turnpike, with heavy traffic and the potential for accidents. That changed in the fall of 2021 with completing a $140 million widening project between mile marker 40 (Interstate 64 Interchange) and mile marker 48 (North Beckley exit).
 
The Turnpike was widened to six lanes for the eight-mile stretch of highway, which includes the Mabscott, Tamarack, and Beckley exits. The six-lane upgrade eased congestion in the heavily traveled section of the Turnpike and improved safety on the stretch of highway.
Coalfields Expressway

The Coalfields Expressway (WV 121) is a four-lane limited access highway designed to connect The West Virginia Turnpike at Beckley with US 23 in Slate, Virginia, opening West Virginia's Southern Coalfields to never-before-seen economic development opportunities. The four-lane will also replace narrow, twisting country roads with safer, faster, and more direct routes.
 
Construction began in 1999 but stalled due to a lack of funding.
 
In 2017, Gov. Jim Justice committed to extending the Coalfields Expressway as part of his Roads to Prosperity program. In 2020, an 8.9-mile section of the Expressway opened to traffic between Slab Fork in Raleigh County and Mullens in Wyoming County.
 
In May 2022, a $147.6 million project was awarded to Bizzack Construction to build a 5.12-mile section of highway from Welch to WV 16 to connect the town with the Coalfields Expressway.
 
Future plans are also in the works to build a five-mile stretch of the Coalfields Expressway from Mullens to Twin Falls State Park and a three-mile link from Twin Falls toward Pineville.
 
About 18 miles of the Coalfields Expressway are currently open to traffic.
King Coal Highway

When Gov. Justice took office, he made the completion of Corridor H, the Coalfields Expressway, and the King Coal Highway significant priorities of his administration. On Wednesday, December 13, 2023, Gov. Justice cut the ribbon and celebrated the grand opening of an approximately three-mile stretch of the King Coal Highway spanning from Airport Road to John Nash Boulevard near Bluefield.
 
The approximately $68 million project, the first section of the King Coal Highway to be funded through Gov. Justice's $2.8 billion Roads to Prosperity program, connects Airport Road to the previously constructed Christine Elmore West Bridge and the bridge to the intersection of John Nash Boulevard and US 460. Kanawha Stone Company Inc. was awarded the contract in October 2018, with construction starting that winter.
 
The King Coal Highway is a four-lane highway approximately 95 miles long, running through McDowell, Mercer, Mingo, Wyoming, and Wayne counties, along or near the currently existing US 52 from US 119 near Williamson to Interstate 77 in Bluefield. The project is intended to open West Virginia's southern coalfields to economic development.
 
Development of the King Coal Highway has been underway since the 1990s but bogged down for lack of funding before Gov. Justice revitalized the project in 2018. A two-mile section of the King Coal Highway connecting Airport Road to Interstate 77 and a four-mile section connecting US 119 to Belo north of Williamson is currently open to traffic. About 10 miles between Red Jacket and Mountain View is also open.

[Rothman]

Wonder how many roads to prosperity they need before actually being prosperous.

[Bitmapped]

To date, nearly all of the 1,320 Roads to Prosperity projects have been started or completed.

There are a number of significant projects promised as part of the Roads to Prosperity bond that haven't even even been started. The number of run-of-the-mill resurfacing and bridge repair projects they've branded as part of "Roads to Prosperity" significantly inflates the percentage of work they've completed.

In the Morgantown area, for example, the following projects were promised under Roads to Prosperity to have guaranteed funding in 2017 but have yet to even start:
- Upgrades to I-79 Exit 155
- Northern Morgantown bypass
- Widening Beechurst Avenue (US 19/WV 7) between 6th Street and 8th Street
- Greenbag Road (CR 857) reconstruction

Other promised but unbuilt projects include:
- Completing the New River Parkway (WV 125)
- US 33 climbing lane (I think on Shenandoah Mountain) in Pendleton County
- More WV 2 widening
- WV 2 relocation through New Cumberland
- Replacement for I-79/US 50 interchange

Wonder how many roads to prosperity they need before actually being prosperous.

Investing in growing areas of the state like North Central West Virginia (Morgantown-Clarksburg corridor) and the Eastern Panhandle, rather than the rapidly depopulating coalfields, would help a lot with bringing prosperity.

A huge chunk of WVDOH staff spent today participating in a photo op for the governor's US Senate campaign rather than doing the actual work they are supposed to do.

[GCrites]

Wonder how many roads to prosperity they need before actually being prosperous.

It does seem like one of those older guys at the gym who if "I can just get back to my PBs" will be fine.

[SP Cook]

Wonder how many roads to prosperity they need before actually being prosperous.

Well, I know that was a going-for-a-laugh line, but imagine West Virginia, and all of Appalachia, without the good road that today make life acceptable, and business possible, for millions of forgotten Americans.  Remember that I-77 and 79 were not original parts of the Interstate system, and the ARC corridors were a close run political thing as well.

While I am not a real believer that the King Coal/Colfields Expressway tandem will ever be finished, nor will they really serve much use if they ever were, do-nothing-ism is never the right answer.  Corridor H, which should have been finished four decades ago, will be a major jobs producer and save many lives. 

[Rothman]

If you believe roads are job creators, Binghamton, NY should be El Dorado.

[SP Cook]

I have only been to Binghamton once, but if you believe that the roads there, or anywhere, do not make 1000s of jobs there possible, not to mention life there just better, you probably believe in mythological things like El Dorado.

[Rothman]

I have only been to Binghamton once, but if you believe that the roads there, or anywhere, do not make 1000s of jobs there possible, not to mention life there just better, you probably believe in mythological things like El Dorado.

And one must be careful not to exaggerate the effect of transportation on economic factors.  Our country is littered with municipalities with overbuilt infrastructure compared to the economy being generated therein, whether because of bygone glory days or because of quixotic "If we build it, they will come" mentality that wasn't matched by reality.

Without the other ingredients in place to boost one's economy (e.g., educated workforce and actual business interest in coming to an area, just to mention a couple), all you're doing is building infrastructure that will be expensive to maintain.

In these days and times, you're just setting yourself up for a road diet in the future.

[noelbotevera]

Am I crazy in thinking that Morgantown doesn't have a good local bypass?

Okay, obviously through traffic is on I-68 and I-79. But if you live in the city and want to head to either interstate, you have to slog through downtown. Now, WV 705 looks like it wants to fill that bypass role, but the issue is that it makes several turns (otherwise it'd bulldoze Star City) and runs smack dab next to WVU and Milan Pusker Stadium. The point is, it doesn't cut it.

Is Morgantown's topography so challenging that it's not possible to build a bypass? As it stands, US 19 and US 119 are the only "decent" options, especially since US 19 has the only bridges over the Mon River.

For as much road building that West Virginia's been doing right now, it's perplexing that they haven't tried something in this area. I guess WV 43, but that's more of a favor to PA.

[Bitmapped]

Am I crazy in thinking that Morgantown doesn't have a good local bypass?

Okay, obviously through traffic is on I-68 and I-79. But if you live in the city and want to head to either interstate, you have to slog through downtown. Now, WV 705 looks like it wants to fill that bypass role, but the issue is that it makes several turns (otherwise it'd bulldoze Star City) and runs smack dab next to WVU and Milan Pusker Stadium. The point is, it doesn't cut it.

Is Morgantown's topography so challenging that it's not possible to build a bypass? As it stands, US 19 and US 119 are the only "decent" options, especially since US 19 has the only bridges over the Mon River.

For as much road building that West Virginia's been doing right now, it's perplexing that they haven't tried something in this area. I guess WV 43, but that's more of a favor to PA.

WV 43 doesn't serve the Morgantown core. It is a functional replacement for the northernmost section of CR 857.

Through traffic uses the Interstates. Local traffic, depending on where they want to go, may also use the Interstate to get to the other side of town. Greenbag Road (CR 857) functions as a southern bypass as well.

As of last fall, there is now a complete 4-lane corridor across the northern side of town with Chaplin Hill Road (to I-79 Exit 155), US 19/WV 7, WV 705, US 119, and CR 857 to I-68 Exit 7. Most destinations on the north side of town that traffic want to get to are along the WV 705 corridor between WVU's Evansdale campus, shopping, and the hospitals.

There was a proposal ~25 years ago to build a northern bypass. There was one again as part the Roads to Prosperity program from 2017 to build part of a northern bypass that would start at I-79 but eventually end at US 119, but it's now dead.

Morgantown doesn't need a northern bypass so much as improvements to the existing WV 705 corridor so traffic flows better. Access management by consolidating driveways, building more right turn and double left turn lanes, and bringing in some superstreet aspects would significantly help improve traffic flow. Right now, if you're going to drive WV 705 from end-to-end during the daytime, it's often faster to head downtown and then come back out than to drive straight across.

[Bitmapped]

US 19 (Corridor L) is getting yet another traffic signal. There's a project out for bid in November for Mount Lookout Road south of Summersville. This is on top of the new signal for Summersville Lake State Park earlier this year.

[SP Cook]

US 19 (Corridor L) is getting yet another traffic signal. There's a project out for bid in November for Mount Lookout Road south of Summersville. This is on top of the new signal for Summersville Lake State Park earlier this year.

The purpose of the ARC corridors was to open up areas without access.  Most WV corridors, but especially L, have become over-burdened with stop lights, and with untrained traffic cops and grossly underposted speed limits, which have defeated this puropose. 

The number of traffic lights on L should be zero, and the SL should never drop below the, already too low, 65.

[froggie]

65 isn't too low, and I have a lead foot.  But agree with too many signals.  Several of these Summersville locations should be interchanges.

[NE2]

If the purpose was to open up areas, traffic lights don't help or hurt that. Notably, the purpose was not to provide a thru route from Ontario to Florida.