Corridor H

[Bitmapped]

New section of Corridor H from Knobley Road to Scherr (WV 93, I guess) opened on Tuesday. http://www.statejournal.com/story/19911180/grant-county-section-of-corridor-h-opens-this-week?utm_source=StateJournal&utm_medium=twitter

[NE2]

http://www.wvcorridorh.com/route/map5.html
"it is anticipated that the first 5.3 miles from Knobley Road to WV 93 will be completed in the fall of 2012"

Presumably that's what just opened: http://www.openstreetmap.org/?lat=39.1946&lon=-79.1341&zoom=13&layers=M

And sorry about any edit conflicts - we were both trying to change it at the same time

[hbelkins]

New section of Corridor H from Knobley Road to Scherr (WV 93, I guess) opened on Tuesday. http://www.statejournal.com/story/19911180/grant-county-section-of-corridor-h-opens-this-week?utm_source=StateJournal&utm_medium=twitter

Welcome, Brian! :-)

[Bitmapped]

New section of Corridor H from Knobley Road to Scherr (WV 93, I guess) opened on Tuesday. http://www.statejournal.com/story/19911180/grant-county-section-of-corridor-h-opens-this-week?utm_source=StateJournal&utm_medium=twitter

Welcome, Brian! :-)

Thanks.  I need to remember to poke around here more.  Since MTR imploded I've cut back on my general community roadgeekery.

[SP Cook]

Just for background (not wanting to set off a big political postwar), the area in question is among the most Republican parts of WV.  With little coal the natural "vote the way granddaddy shot" unionist loyalties remain strong (similar to parts of Hal Roger's distict in HB's state, etc), unchanged by the advent of the unionized mine workers.  The governor's race is pretty close, although I think the democrat will win, but the rush to open this road is to insure that populace that he, unlike some previous democrat governors, actually is commited to H (which I believe he actually is, for what it is worth).

[NE2]

Good to know Repubs love pork too.

[Bitmapped]

Just for background (not wanting to set off a big political postwar), the area in question is among the most Republican parts of WV.  With little coal the natural "vote the way granddaddy shot" unionist loyalties remain strong (similar to parts of Hal Roger's distict in HB's state, etc), unchanged by the advent of the unionized mine workers.  The governor's race is pretty close, although I think the democrat will win, but the rush to open this road is to insure that populace that he, unlike some previous democrat governors, actually is commited to H (which I believe he actually is, for what it is worth).

Actually, WVDOH and the governor's office have been very quiet about Corridor H opening.  I haven't seen any press releases, just the AP article.  No ribbon-cutting ceremony for the highway.  There was one earlier in the week in Keyser for the new US 220 bridge.

[mtfallsmikey]

Traveled on the new section to Rt. 93 last Weds., will have pics soon..Real nice, awesome scenery

[seicer]

And real snow covered right now. Areas around Corridor H have received up to 1' of snow already, with another 1' to 2' expected by Wednesday evening. This is one of the earliest heavy snowfalls ever.

[cpzilliacus]

Just for background (not wanting to set off a big political postwar), the area in question is among the most Republican parts of WV.  With little coal the natural "vote the way granddaddy shot" unionist loyalties remain strong (similar to parts of Hal Roger's distict in HB's state, etc), unchanged by the advent of the unionized mine workers.  The governor's race is pretty close, although I think the democrat will win, but the rush to open this road is to insure that populace that he, unlike some previous democrat governors, actually is commited to H (which I believe he actually is, for what it is worth).

Curiously, a succession of Democratic Maryland governors have spent a whole lot of (mostly federal) dollars to complete what is now I-68, even though it is pretty reliably Republican (it has long been in the congressional 6th District represented by Roscoe Bartlett (R), though the district may have been sufficiently gerrymandered recently to assure his defeat in the election next week).  These projects date back to the 1960's, when the old Cumberland Bypass (the now very substandard segment of the freeway through downtown Cumberland) was completed.

[Beltway]

Curiously, a succession of Democratic Maryland governors have spent a whole lot of (mostly federal) dollars to complete what is now I-68, even though it is pretty reliably Republican (it has long been in the congressional 6th District represented by Roscoe Bartlett (R), though the district may have been sufficiently gerrymandered recently to assure his defeat in the election next week).  These projects date back to the 1960's, when the old Cumberland Bypass (the now very substandard segment of the freeway through downtown Cumberland) was completed.

Because ADHS Corridor "E" was seen as a benefit to the whole state, and it has an inter-state function with the West Virginia segment to connect I-70 in Maryland with I-79 in WV.  In addition to promoting economic development in Western Maryland, which was rather isolated from modern highway access.

Maryland named their segment the National Freeway, as a bypass of the National Road.  One of the prime project benefits promoted by the MD state government in the 1970s and 1980s was that it would connect the Port of Baltimore with the Ohio Valley.

[cpzilliacus]

Curiously, a succession of Democratic Maryland governors have spent a whole lot of (mostly federal) dollars to complete what is now I-68, even though it is pretty reliably Republican (it has long been in the congressional 6th District represented by Roscoe Bartlett (R), though the district may have been sufficiently gerrymandered recently to assure his defeat in the election next week).  These projects date back to the 1960's, when the old Cumberland Bypass (the now very substandard segment of the freeway through downtown Cumberland) was completed.

Because ADHS Corridor "E" was seen as a benefit to the whole state, and it has an inter-state function with the West Virginia segment to connect I-70 in Maryland with I-79 in WV.  In addition to promoting economic development in Western Maryland, which was rather isolated from modern highway access.

Maryland named their segment the National Freeway, as a bypass of the National Road.  One of the prime project benefits promoted by the MD state government in the 1970s and 1980s was that it would connect the Port of Baltimore with the Ohio Valley.

The larger reason (according to a longtime senior planner with SHA, now retired) was that "induced" demand for highway capacity that might result from the construction of what became I-68 was desirable.  In other words, the state wanted more highway traffic headed to and coming from that part of the state.

[Beltway]

Because ADHS Corridor "E" was seen as a benefit to the whole state, and it has an inter-state function with the West Virginia segment to connect I-70 in Maryland with I-79 in WV.  In addition to promoting economic development in Western Maryland, which was rather isolated from modern highway access.

Maryland named their segment the National Freeway, as a bypass of the National Road.  One of the prime project benefits promoted by the MD state government in the 1970s and 1980s was that it would connect the Port of Baltimore with the Ohio Valley.

The larger reason (according to a longtime senior planner with SHA, now retired) was that "induced" demand for highway capacity that might result from the construction of what became I-68 was desirable.  In other words, the state wanted more highway traffic headed to and coming from that part of the state.

I have MDSHA public hearing brochures from the 1970s and 1980s for the National Freeway projects.

Stated prime project benefit goals did include connecting the Port of Baltimore with the Ohio Valley, as well as connecting the rest of the state to Western Maryland and to the Ohio Valley.

[hbelkins]

The larger reason (according to a longtime senior planner with SHA, now retired) was that "induced" demand for highway capacity that might result from the construction of what became I-68 was desirable.  In other words, the state wanted more highway traffic headed to and coming from that part of the state.

Once Corridor H is finished, I will certainly use I-68 a lot less than I use it now.

[rickmastfan67]

Does anybody know if the new connector road from US-48 to WV-93 has a name?

[NE2]

Probably Joe Goodsoldier Memorial Bridge. Otherwise I doubt it - it's just a long ramp.

[hbelkins]

Does anybody know if the new connector road from US-48 to WV-93 has a name?

To US 48? Or To WV 93? 

[Bitmapped]

Does anybody know if the new connector road from US-48 to WV-93 has a name?

To US 48? Or To WV 93? 

It's just a connector, basically a glorified ramp.  It's doubtful it will have a name of its own unless Grant County decides it needs ones for E911 purposes.

[rickmastfan67]

Does anybody know if the new connector road from US-48 to WV-93 has a name?

To US 48? Or To WV 93? 

It's just a connector, basically a glorified ramp.  It's doubtful it will have a name of its own unless Grant County decides it needs ones for E911 purposes.

That's what I kinda thought would be the case, but just wanted to be sure before I submitted an update for the CHM project extending US-48.

[oscar]

Does anybody know if the new connector road from US-48 to WV-93 has a name?

To US 48? Or To WV 93? 

H.B., you nailed it!  I was there earlier today.  The connector has no signed name or separate route number.  On US 48, it's signed only as "To WV 93".  On WV 93, it's signed only as "To US 48".

[Bitmapped]

I drove the new part of Corridor H today.  It's a very nice road with concrete travel lanes and shoulders.  About half of the new section, the part nearest CR 3, has a Jersey barrier median.  The rest has a narrow grass median.

Now that the road has a better connection to existing state routes, it seems that traffic is picking up a bit.  Still not a ton of cars but it wasn't completely deserted as it has been in the past.

With the new pieces of Corridor H that are now open, this route is starting to look like a viable alternative for heading from the I-68 corridor to the Shenandoah Valley.  I suspect this route will start to pop-up on more people's radar screens especially once the last piece to Bismarck is done in about two years.

[hbelkins]

With the new pieces of Corridor H that are now open, this route is starting to look like a viable alternative for heading from the I-68 corridor to the Shenandoah Valley.  I suspect this route will start to pop-up on more people's radar screens especially once the last piece to Bismarck is done in about two years.

If driving to DC, I would pick Corridor H over either I-68 to I-70, or I-64 to I-81 to I-66, without hesitation right now.

Kerens to Davis isn't that bad of a road, and neither is Wardensville to Strasburg. Davis to Mount Storm Lake is practically like a Super-2.

[Bitmapped]

I posted photos from the new part of Corridor H to Flickr at http://www.flickr.com/photos/bmpowell/sets/72157606237347352/with/8217668114/.

[seicer]

Thanks for these. I head up that way a lot to do some backpacking in the mountains, and have watched various segments of Corridor H inch along. The Kerens - Davis segment isn't that bad - for a two-lane, and moves fairly quick. I've been stuck behind some logging trucks on the one long grade but it's easy to pass them on the incline.

I'm not sure why the Davis - Mt. Storm segment is such a high priority though. WV 93 was built on a new alignment in 1963-1964 to serve Mt. Storm Lake and its (very large) power plant that was finished in 1965. It has practically no traffic - although snow clearing may take a higher priority than years past with it being four-laned and a corridor route.

[bugo]

This thread makes me miss Racist Randy