News:

Thank you for your patience during the Forum downtime while we upgraded the software. Welcome back and see this thread for some new features and other changes to the forum.

Main Menu

Corridor H

Started by CanesFan27, September 20, 2009, 03:01:17 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

cpzilliacus

Quote from: mattpedersen on July 12, 2015, 09:44:14 PM
Quote from: cpzilliacus on July 12, 2015, 01:51:22 AM
That seems to have changed.  This year, I have seen WVSP as well as deputies from Hardy and Grant Counties stopping motorists (presumably for speeding over the posted 65 MPH limit along most of the road).

I saw a WV Trooper heading Westbound on Thursday, the first time I have seen any law enforcement presence on the road.

I have seen (marked) WVSP trooper cars on the road in the past, but until this year, I had not seen anyone stopped by them or deputy sheriffs.  Most recently, I saw the Grant County SO with someone stopped on the westbound side between W.Va. 93 and the Nedpower windfarm east of the generating station.
Opinions expressed here on AAROADS are strictly personal and mine alone, and do not reflect policies or positions of MWCOG, NCRTPB or their member federal, state, county and municipal governments or any other agency.


Bitmapped

Quote from: cpzilliacus on July 12, 2015, 09:49:27 PM
Quote from: mattpedersen on July 12, 2015, 09:44:14 PM
Quote from: cpzilliacus on July 12, 2015, 01:51:22 AM
That seems to have changed.  This year, I have seen WVSP as well as deputies from Hardy and Grant Counties stopping motorists (presumably for speeding over the posted 65 MPH limit along most of the road).

I saw a WV Trooper heading Westbound on Thursday, the first time I have seen any law enforcement presence on the road.

I have seen (marked) WVSP trooper cars on the road in the past, but until this year, I had not seen anyone stopped by them or deputy sheriffs.  Most recently, I saw the Grant County SO with someone stopped on the westbound side between W.Va. 93 and the Nedpower windfarm east of the generating station.

Speed enforcement in rural areas in WV is generally pretty minimal, but from what I've seen with traffic going well above 65-70 on Corridor H, I'm not surprised there is a move to tamp that down.

cpzilliacus

Quote from: Bitmapped on July 14, 2015, 08:09:07 PM
Speed enforcement in rural areas in WV is generally pretty minimal, but from what I've seen with traffic going well above 65-70 on Corridor H, I'm not surprised there is a move to tamp that down.

Somewhat surprised that the D.C. crotch rocket (high-powered motorcycle) crowd has not discovered Corridor H yet.
Opinions expressed here on AAROADS are strictly personal and mine alone, and do not reflect policies or positions of MWCOG, NCRTPB or their member federal, state, county and municipal governments or any other agency.

DeaconG

Quote from: cpzilliacus on July 14, 2015, 10:35:13 PM
Quote from: Bitmapped on July 14, 2015, 08:09:07 PM
Speed enforcement in rural areas in WV is generally pretty minimal, but from what I've seen with traffic going well above 65-70 on Corridor H, I'm not surprised there is a move to tamp that down.

Somewhat surprised that the D.C. crotch rocket (high-powered motorcycle) crowd has not discovered Corridor H yet.

All it will take is for one of them to post a YouTube of their GoPro/camcorder footage and away we go...
Dawnstar: "You're an ape! And you can talk!"
King Solovar: "And you're a human with wings! Reality holds surprises for everyone!"
-Crisis On Infinite Earths #2

cpzilliacus

Quote from: DeaconG on July 15, 2015, 07:54:23 AM
All it will take is for one of them to post a YouTube of their GoPro/camcorder footage and away we go...

Agreed. Though they might be in for an unpleasant surprise with West Virginia law enforcement and the judicial system.

I suspect that West Virginia law enforcement is not under any limitations when it comes to pursuits, and judges in places like Hardy County and Grant County are probably perfectly willing to sentence a crotch rocketer from the District of Columbia to a stay in jail (though I have not read of speeders being sentenced to jail in West Virginia, as they are with some frequency in rural Virginia counties).
Opinions expressed here on AAROADS are strictly personal and mine alone, and do not reflect policies or positions of MWCOG, NCRTPB or their member federal, state, county and municipal governments or any other agency.

Thing 342

Quote from: cpzilliacus on July 15, 2015, 10:48:42 AM
Quote from: DeaconG on July 15, 2015, 07:54:23 AM
All it will take is for one of them to post a YouTube of their GoPro/camcorder footage and away we go...

Agreed. Though they might be in for an unpleasant surprise with West Virginia law enforcement and the judicial system.

I suspect that West Virginia law enforcement is not under any limitations when it comes to pursuits, and judges in places like Hardy County and Grant County are probably perfectly willing to sentence a crotch rocketer from the District of Columbia to a stay in jail (though I have not read of speeders being sentenced to jail in West Virginia, as they are with some frequency in rural Virginia counties).
Yeah, speed enforcement in the western Virginia counties can be quite strict. A friend of a friend once spent a weekend in the slammer for doing 85 or so along US-211.

At the end of the month I'll be headed through the eastern section of Corridor H. Does anyone know how far west it has been opened to traffic?  Google says it's been opened to about CR-90/1, but other mapping sites (OSM, Bing) seem to put its ending further east.

davewiecking

You do not want to be caught driving over 80 ANYWHERE in the Commonwealth, even if the speed limit is 70. Check with Jason Werth.

Rothman

All I know is that Waverly, VA (not western Virginia, but still) has one of the dirtiest speed traps I've ever come across countrywide along US 460.  The only thing keeping that town alive is speeding fines (just check out their Taj Mahal of a courthouse!).
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position(s) of NYSDOT.

1995hoo

Quote from: davewiecking on July 16, 2015, 05:31:05 PM
You do not want to be caught driving over 80 ANYWHERE in the Commonwealth, even if the speed limit is 70. Check with Jason Werth.

Jayson Werth was clocked at 105 in a 55-mph zone on the Capital Beltway that happened to be a work zone. That's just plain dumb on his part.

But yes, anything over 80 mph is grounds for a reckless driving ticket regardless of the posted speed limit, and in Virginia reckless driving is a misdemeanor.
"You know, you never have a guaranteed spot until you have a spot guaranteed."
—Olaf Kolzig, as quoted in the Washington Times on March 28, 2003,
commenting on the Capitals clinching a playoff spot.

"That sounded stupid, didn't it?"
—Kolzig, to the same reporter a few seconds later.

Thing 342

Quote from: 1995hoo on July 16, 2015, 07:18:21 PM
Quote from: davewiecking on July 16, 2015, 05:31:05 PM
You do not want to be caught driving over 80 ANYWHERE in the Commonwealth, even if the speed limit is 70. Check with Jason Werth.

Jayson Werth was clocked at 105 in a 55-mph zone on the Capital Beltway that happened to be a work zone. That's just plain dumb on his part.

But yes, anything over 80 mph is grounds for a reckless driving ticket regardless of the posted speed limit, and in Virginia reckless driving is a misdemeanor.
I'd like to know how he managed that. I'd imagine that the beltway is busy all hours of the day.

Nexus 6


1995hoo

#735
It was 8:00 on a Sunday morning over Independence Day weekend last year (Sunday, July 6). He entered the Inner Loop from Georgetown Pike (Exit 44) and exited onto the GW Parkway (Exit 43). He lives on Georgetown Pike.
"You know, you never have a guaranteed spot until you have a spot guaranteed."
—Olaf Kolzig, as quoted in the Washington Times on March 28, 2003,
commenting on the Capitals clinching a playoff spot.

"That sounded stupid, didn't it?"
—Kolzig, to the same reporter a few seconds later.

cpzilliacus

Quote from: Thing 342 on July 16, 2015, 03:50:04 PM
At the end of the month I'll be headed through the eastern section of Corridor H. Does anyone know how far west it has been opened to traffic?  Google says it's been opened to about CR-90/1, but other mapping sites (OSM, Bing) seem to put its ending further east.

It is completely open (all four lanes) to the Tucker County/Grant County line (also the Eastern Continental Divide), west of the DVP Mount Storm Generating Station.

At that point, you are forced off onto the old W.Va. 93 for a relatively short distance, then back onto the new pavement of Corridor H, but only in a two-land undivided configuration. That new pavement continues much of the way to W.Va. 32  between Thomas and Davis, the work zone ends a short distance east of the tee intersection at W.Va. 32.
Opinions expressed here on AAROADS are strictly personal and mine alone, and do not reflect policies or positions of MWCOG, NCRTPB or their member federal, state, county and municipal governments or any other agency.

mrsman

Quote from: 1995hoo on July 16, 2015, 07:18:21 PM
Quote from: davewiecking on July 16, 2015, 05:31:05 PM
You do not want to be caught driving over 80 ANYWHERE in the Commonwealth, even if the speed limit is 70. Check with Jason Werth.

Jayson Werth was clocked at 105 in a 55-mph zone on the Capital Beltway that happened to be a work zone. That's just plain dumb on his part.

But yes, anything over 80 mph is grounds for a reckless driving ticket regardless of the posted speed limit, and in Virginia reckless driving is a misdemeanor.

105 is crazy, but 80 is too low for many freeways to be considered a misdemeanor in my opinion, particulary for many rural Interstates that are straight and clear and in many other states would be signed for 70 or 75 easily.

I'd say, better to make the limit for recklessness 20 over or 90, whichever is higher.

1995hoo

I agree with you completely and I think the Virginia law is a bit of a "gotcha" law, especially since 70-mph speed limits were made routine in 2010. It's rather absurd of them to claim that 11 mph over the limit is inherently reckless. Of course it CAN be, depending on the conditions, but it shouldn't AUTOMATICALLY be.
"You know, you never have a guaranteed spot until you have a spot guaranteed."
—Olaf Kolzig, as quoted in the Washington Times on March 28, 2003,
commenting on the Capitals clinching a playoff spot.

"That sounded stupid, didn't it?"
—Kolzig, to the same reporter a few seconds later.

SP Cook

The idea that there is some sort of thing less than a "misdemeanor", which is something the kangaroo court and traffic cop random tax scum use to deny people their Constitutional rights is, of course, fundamentally un-American and repugnant.  If a law enforcement officer (health inspector, truck weigher, enviro officer, squirrel sheriff, or whatever)  tries to take one cent from you, IMHO, that is a misdemeanor and you have a inalienable right to a full trial before a jury with every single Constitutional protection that is accorded any criminal defendant charged with anything.  If it too much burden on the random taxing jurisdiction, then there is an easy solution.  Rip the radar gun out of the car, take an exit and DO SERIOUS AND USEFUL WORK against actual criminals.

As to "reckless", there, of course, should be no numerical definition.  "Reckless" means "without thinking or caring about the consequences of an action".  Which is, of course, a question of fact for a jury, considering all of the circumstances.  Certainly, there exist plenty of roads that, after considering all of the consequences, can be safely driven by highly skilled drivers at speeds far above the posted SL, no numerical definition is possible.  At such a trial, the first question a good lawyer would ask the random taxer would be "have you ever driven X MPH?"  The second would be "and you were acting at that time 'without thinking of the consequences' ?"  Case dismissed.  Maybe Mr. Wyrth's actions were "reckless" or maybe not.  I do not know the totality of the circumstances.  I do know, of course, that there was a dark age when ignorant people said "55 saves lives", and that history has proven these morons dead wrong, so, if on Mr. Wyrth's jury, I would have to hear a lot of evidence to overcome the Constitutional presumption of innocence. 

Of course, the random tax scum often openly commit perjury in their random tax "tickets" (sworn court papers) by falsely claiming their victim was going X when he or she was actually going many multiples of that, telling their victim they are "giving them a break" because they could be charged with "reckless driving".  Which is much like a rapist asking for mercy because he wore a condom.


oscar

#740
Quote from: mattpedersen on July 10, 2015, 11:32:40 AM
I have driven Corridor H twice in the past few weeks, once from Davis to Wardensville two weeks ago, and Bismark to Wardensville yesterday. I snapped some photos two weeks ago, and will try to get them off my phone and posted sometime soon. Sections 26-28 look like they will open by the end of the summer. Sections 22-25 Eastbound lanes are completed and open to two way traffic. The Westbound lanes look like they are still in "rough grading" and appear to have a lot of work to do to get them open. Otherwise the route is an easy drive where it has been completed.

I was just through there yesterday (no photos, I limped back home tired and sick from a month-long road trip). The open four-lane section, east from the Tucker/Grant county line, is signed as US 48/WV 93, with the first EB signs right at the county line. WV 93 peels away at an intersection NW of the power plant, east of there the new Corridor H segment is signed only as US 48.

The closed section just west of the county line looks close to ready, and indeed already has US 48/WV 93 signs posted. Traffic is detoured onto the old WV 93 roadway for now. The rest of the way is as Matt reports, but the newly built EB lanes (carrying two-way traffic for now) start about a mile or so east of WV 32, with traffic using the old WV 93 roadway between WV 32 and the new EB lanes. No US 48 signage there, or at the WV 32 junction.
my Hot Springs and Highways pages, with links to my roads sites:
http://www.alaskaroads.com/home.html

cpzilliacus

Quote from: oscar on July 23, 2015, 05:05:04 PM
No US 48 signage there, or at the WV 32 junction.

IMO, it's about time for WVDOT to (at least) post U.S. 48 trailblazers from the intersection of W.Va. 32 and U.S. 219 in downtown Thomas and from the state parks and resorts along W.Va. 32 south of Davis.
Opinions expressed here on AAROADS are strictly personal and mine alone, and do not reflect policies or positions of MWCOG, NCRTPB or their member federal, state, county and municipal governments or any other agency.

hbelkins

Quote from: cpzilliacus on July 31, 2015, 05:10:26 PM
Quote from: oscar on July 23, 2015, 05:05:04 PM
No US 48 signage there, or at the WV 32 junction.

IMO, it's about time for WVDOT to (at least) post U.S. 48 trailblazers from the intersection of W.Va. 32 and U.S. 219 in downtown Thomas and from the state parks and resorts along W.Va. 32 south of Davis.

There is really no reason that WVDOT can't sign US 48 in its entirety from Weston to the state line. Route it concurrently with US 219 from Elkins to the Davis/Thomas area. More than likely, US 219 is going to be concurrent with US 48 from Elkins all the way to where the routes will split in that area anyway.

This would also allow WVDOT to route US 33/250 along the old route into Elkins that is now signed only as WV 92. It really never made a lot of sense to me to have only WV 92 on that road, and the route number designation change completely for through traffic at the interchange north of Elkins where US 33/250 currently leave Corridor H and US 219 enters.


Government would be tolerable if not for politicians and bureaucrats.

cpzilliacus

Quote from: hbelkins on July 31, 2015, 09:24:31 PM
Quote from: cpzilliacus on July 31, 2015, 05:10:26 PM
Quote from: oscar on July 23, 2015, 05:05:04 PM
No US 48 signage there, or at the WV 32 junction.

IMO, it's about time for WVDOT to (at least) post U.S. 48 trailblazers from the intersection of W.Va. 32 and U.S. 219 in downtown Thomas and from the state parks and resorts along W.Va. 32 south of Davis.

There is really no reason that WVDOT can't sign US 48 in its entirety from Weston to the state line. Route it concurrently with US 219 from Elkins to the Davis/Thomas area. More than likely, US 219 is going to be concurrent with US 48 from Elkins all the way to where the routes will split in that area anyway.

I agree.  Since it is pretty clear that there is going to be a continuous four-lane expressway-type road from Weston at least as far east as Wardensville, and perhaps the ridgetop of Great North Mountain (W.Va./Va. state line) and eventually on to I-81 outside of Strasburg, Va. 

Only issue I am aware of is a posted bridge on U.S. 48/W.Va. 55 at a tributary of the Cacapon River east of the current W.Va. 259 intersection at about where the road starts to climb up the mountain toward Virginia. The weight limits on that bridge are not terribly low, but that could be a problem for some loads.

In spite of its steep grades and sharp curves between Parsons and Thomas, current U.S. 219 (Seneca Trail) is open to all traffic - no truck restrictions, so it could be signed as U.S. 48.

Quote from: hbelkins on July 31, 2015, 09:24:31 PM
This would also allow WVDOT to route US 33/250 along the old route into Elkins that is now signed only as WV 92. It really never made a lot of sense to me to have only WV 92 on that road, and the route number designation change completely for through traffic at the interchange north of Elkins where US 33/250 currently leave Corridor H and US 219 enters.

Also agree.  U.S. 48 really ought to take precedence over all those other routes that run along parts of Corridor H, east and west.
Opinions expressed here on AAROADS are strictly personal and mine alone, and do not reflect policies or positions of MWCOG, NCRTPB or their member federal, state, county and municipal governments or any other agency.

Thing 342

Just took a trip along the eastern portion of Corridor H today, from the state line to Davis, where I'm staying for the weekend. I didn't see any type of law enforcement, except along the 25 mph speed trap in Wardensville on the old two-lane section. It was a nice ride, however, we kept passing an aggressive Hummer who would do 80+ down the hills and 45-ish on the way up. The newest section just west of the Grant-Tucker line looks about ready to open, with the lanes painted and mileage signs up. The other side of the currently two-lane section near Davis is still mostly in the grading stage, however, a section had recently had a layer of fresh concrete poured over it. The speed limit on that section is an agonizingly slow 45mph with no passing zones, which is weird since the final speed on that section will be 65mph.



I'm currently planning on taking a trip to Weston, which will get the rest of Corridor H. Will probably take a few photos of that stretch and post them in a few days.

Photos can be found here: https://goo.gl/photos/WKqnrESqUDXxTvNG6

CVski

Less than 3 months later, WVDOH has quietly slipped the schedule for completion of the 4-lane segment to Davis to the summer of 2016... which is about what I was expecting to see sooner or later.
http://www.wvcorridorh.com/route/map4.html


     

The Ghostbuster

How long before Corridor H is completed and signposted as US 48 between Interstate 79 and Interstate 81?

cpzilliacus

Quote from: The Ghostbuster on August 19, 2015, 02:42:22 PM
How long before Corridor H is completed and signposted as US 48 between Interstate 79 and Interstate 81?

It will be a while. WVDOH seems uninterested in signing the western part as U.S. 48, and only signs the eastern part as sections are completed. 

And it is signed in Virginia, but there is no mention of Corridor H in the Commonwealth's Six Year Program.
Opinions expressed here on AAROADS are strictly personal and mine alone, and do not reflect policies or positions of MWCOG, NCRTPB or their member federal, state, county and municipal governments or any other agency.

Thing 342

Quote from: The Ghostbuster on August 19, 2015, 02:42:22 PM
How long before Corridor H is completed and signposted as US 48 between Interstate 79 and Interstate 81?
Construction on the segment from Parsons to Davis is not scheduled to start until 2031 at the earliest.

seicer

I had the opportunity to drive the newest sections of Corridor H from Davis/Thomas a few weeks back. The newest segment east of Davis/Thomas is on its way to completion and features two notable changes to its construction from earlier segments. The transversely tined concrete has been switched to longitudinally tined that's now showing up extensively elsewhere in the state and in Ohio. It should be a lot quieter - I can unfortunately hear Corridor H's traffic from certain vantage points in Canaan Valley, so anything less noisy should help out in that regard.

It also seems that West Virginia is switching to snowplowable recessed markers by installing a groove 8' in length to hold two markers. (Very similar to what Kentucky is now doing after numerous tests over the past few years: http://uknowledge.uky.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1310&context=ktc_researchreports). The new markers were very effective at night and in the rain on my last trip.



Opinions expressed here on belong solely to the poster and do not represent or reflect the opinions or beliefs of AARoads, its creators and/or associates.