Corridor H

[Bitmapped]

These people are the BANANA/NIMBY crew that has held up this road for decades.  While they talk about "alternatives"  their goal is the same as it has been for 60 years.  Kill the project. 

Hardly. The Town of Davis surveyed homeowners - 45% supported the proposed northern route, only 10% supported DOH's preferred route, and the rest wanted more information. Several dozen local businesses have also signed petitions against DOH's preferred routing. See https://www.theintermountain.com/news/local-news/2022/07/petition-fights-corridor-hs-tucker-route/ and https://parsonsadvocate.com/news/pa-top-stories/headlines/corridor-h-proposed-route-from-parsons-to-davis-discussed-in-local-meetings/ for coverage from local newspapers.

In my opinion, DOH undercut their own case for their preferred routing by saying they'd need to build a truck bypass of Thomas. If you're going to do that, it becomes a lot harder to argue that you can't just reroute the mainline to a similar alignment and avoid the impacts to the towns and Blackwater Canyon altogether.

[hbelkins]

So the genius business owners there are in favor of a route that would take traffic away from then instead of a route that would bring traffic directly to them.

I've never thought of Davis and Thomas as thriving towns with lots of tourists. Both places have looked pretty dead every time I've been through them.

[SP Cook]

How many homeowners are in Davis? 

Hopefully these people will be ignored and a safe, high speed highway will be built and help people throughout the region. 

[Bitmapped]

So the genius business owners there are in favor of a route that would take traffic away from then instead of a route that would bring traffic directly to them.

I've never thought of Davis and Thomas as thriving towns with lots of tourists. Both places have looked pretty dead every time I've been through them.

DOH's proposed route was going to bisect the land between the towns. People would still have to get off Corridor H to go into either town, same as with a proposed northern bypass. Access to Thomas would likely be better with the proposed northern bypass and access to Davis would still be good with an interchange with current WV 93 about a mile outside of town. Extend 3rd Street out to Corridor H and it would be comparable to an interchange at WV 32 on DOH's preferred alignment.

Tourism has grown in Tucker County substantially over the past decade, in part because of improved Corridor H access from the DC metro. Go up on a weekend with nice weather (during warm weather months) or during ski season and the area is quite busy.

[Mapmikey]

So the genius business owners there are in favor of a route that would take traffic away from then instead of a route that would bring traffic directly to them.

I've never thought of Davis and Thomas as thriving towns with lots of tourists. Both places have looked pretty dead every time I've been through them.

My 17-hr rides that head out that direction frequently find me in Thomas on a Saturday early evening on my return and it is pretty busy in that small downtown district.

[machpost]

In my opinion, DOH undercut their own case for their preferred routing by saying they'd need to build a truck bypass of Thomas. If you're going to do that, it becomes a lot harder to argue that you can't just reroute the mainline to a similar alignment and avoid the impacts to the towns and Blackwater Canyon altogether.

Why were they going to have to build a truck bypass? Would that routing of Corridor H be unsuitable for trucks?

[hbelkins]

In my opinion, DOH undercut their own case for their preferred routing by saying they'd need to build a truck bypass of Thomas. If you're going to do that, it becomes a lot harder to argue that you can't just reroute the mainline to a similar alignment and avoid the impacts to the towns and Blackwater Canyon altogether.

Why were they going to have to build a truck bypass? Would that routing of Corridor H be unsuitable for trucks?

WV 32 (and now US 48) split into a pair of one-way streets on separate elevations. My guess is that the truck bypass would be needed for what would be the new routing of US 219 splitting from US 48 heading north toward I-68.

[The Ghostbuster]

I'm disappointed the Parsons-to-Davis will have to wait until 2025 for final design to begin, and 2031 before construction begins. I know money isn't unlimited, but it would be nice if Corridor H could have been completed sooner (dito for the Coalfields Expressway and the King Coal Highway).

[Bitmapped]

In my opinion, DOH undercut their own case for their preferred routing by saying they'd need to build a truck bypass of Thomas. If you're going to do that, it becomes a lot harder to argue that you can't just reroute the mainline to a similar alignment and avoid the impacts to the towns and Blackwater Canyon altogether.

Why were they going to have to build a truck bypass? Would that routing of Corridor H be unsuitable for trucks?

WV 32 (and now US 48) split into a pair of one-way streets on separate elevations. My guess is that the truck bypass would be needed for what would be the new routing of US 219 splitting from US 48 heading north toward I-68.

No, the truck bypass is for WV 32 to take truck traffic off the pair of one-way streets through downtown Thomas. There is no new routing of US 219 planned north of Thomas.

[machpost]

These people are the BANANA/NIMBY crew that has held up this road for decades.  While they talk about "alternatives"  their goal is the same as it has been for 60 years.  Kill the project. 

Hardly. The Town of Davis surveyed homeowners - 45% supported the proposed northern route, only 10% supported DOH's preferred route, and the rest wanted more information. Several dozen local businesses have also signed petitions against DOH's preferred routing. See https://www.theintermountain.com/news/local-news/2022/07/petition-fights-corridor-hs-tucker-route/ and https://parsonsadvocate.com/news/pa-top-stories/headlines/corridor-h-proposed-route-from-parsons-to-davis-discussed-in-local-meetings/ for coverage from local newspapers.

In my opinion, DOH undercut their own case for their preferred routing by saying they'd need to build a truck bypass of Thomas. If you're going to do that, it becomes a lot harder to argue that you can't just reroute the mainline to a similar alignment and avoid the impacts to the towns and Blackwater Canyon altogether.

A letter from a Davis resident in today's paper states that this group is spreading misinformation about the preferred route: https://parsonsadvocate.com/pa-opinions/to-davis-residents-letter/

Corridor H is a project that should've been completed 50 years ago, and I'd bet that longtime residents of Tucker County probably just want it to be completed, without further studies and delays. The progress of this project has been held up many times in the past by lawsuits from outsider groups and the area's demographics have changed dramatically over the last decade or two, due in no small part to the much easier access to the area via the completed sections of Corridor H to the east. Without a doubt, those with deeper roots in the community are worried that this is little more than the latest attempt at stalling or further delaying the completion of the highway through the county. To them, it's a coal mining community that has been dying a slow death for the last 70 years. Those folks are starving for the economic opportunities that were promised by the arrival of this highway, and they see the project's opponents as wealthy outsiders from the DC area who treat it as their outdoor playground. And while that's a big reason for the area's recent growth, much of the jobs it's generated are low paying service jobs, and all the homes once occupied by these low wage workers have been bought up and turned into short-term rentals, so businesses in turn have a hard time finding workers for their businesses when they can't afford to live nearby. A great deal of upheaval for a place that was quiet for so long.

[machpost]

Another article from today's paper with pertinent information: https://parsonsadvocate.com/news/pa-top-stories/headlines/cvb-updates/

When mentioning the Corridor H, a discussion among the member of the board started was commenced about the alternative route option. [Tucker County Convention and Visitor's Bureau Board Director Jessica] Waldo said, "The Chamber of Commerce has been asked by a group to consider the possibility of a Northern Route. They are not saying they want the northern, but they want the Department of Highways to consider the possibilities of the northern route. The group is asking for a letter of support from the Chamber. The Chamber board was divided as to whether they wanted to take a stance on that, and opinions were all over on how that should be written."  The Chamber decided to survey the Chamber members and see what the consensus is from there.

Board member Kevin White said, "One thing that Travis Long (Division of Highways Technical Support Division Director) said is that there is not a northern route nor has there ever been a northern route. It is a crayon mark on a map is what the northern route is. I was at several meetings with Travis, and I am not trying to persuade anyone in a certain way. I am just trying to state what the facts are, but unfortunately there is a group out there pushing very false information. Very, very false information.

Number one there is no northern route. It does not exist. It never has existed. Secondly, the biggest thing is if you look at the infrastructure bill. It expires in 2026. The money expires, and it will take 3 and a half to four and a half years to do a study if they trash the southern route and go another way and then the money is gone. If the money is gone the highway is killed. It has killed nine miles of road between Mackeyville and Davis/Thomas.

We know what the traffic is doing to Thomas and Davis now. Imagine what it is going to do once it gets that far up. It is killed and goes no further, and you have that traffic dumping in on Front Street of Thomas and right through Davis. Where it could instead be on the Corridor.

They mentioned the fact that is going to divide the towns. I do not know if you have read the brochures or not but there is actually a preferred route that goes up under Route 32. It is not visible until it gets out at the interchange."

White went to explain the bridge proposed for the Coketon Historic Coke and Coal production site would be design astatically appealing to tourists and traveler with a steel arch bridge designed to complement the area.

White lastly mentioned the threat to EMS crews and emergency response individuals that have to travel the dangerous roads in the winter with severe weather conditions like snow and ice. The Corridor would provide a safer route for everyone traveling in that direction.

[hbelkins]

In my opinion, DOH undercut their own case for their preferred routing by saying they'd need to build a truck bypass of Thomas. If you're going to do that, it becomes a lot harder to argue that you can't just reroute the mainline to a similar alignment and avoid the impacts to the towns and Blackwater Canyon altogether.

Why were they going to have to build a truck bypass? Would that routing of Corridor H be unsuitable for trucks?

WV 32 (and now US 48) split into a pair of one-way streets on separate elevations. My guess is that the truck bypass would be needed for what would be the new routing of US 219 splitting from US 48 heading north toward I-68.

No, the truck bypass is for WV 32 to take truck traffic off the pair of one-way streets through downtown Thomas. There is no new routing of US 219 planned north of Thomas.

But wouldn't this become the route of US 219 once Corridor H is built? Or would US 219 split off from US 48 out near the high school at the top of the mountain and then following the existing route and turn left at the bridge where it currently intersects WV 32, and US 48 currently splits?

[Bitmapped]

In my opinion, DOH undercut their own case for their preferred routing by saying they'd need to build a truck bypass of Thomas. If you're going to do that, it becomes a lot harder to argue that you can't just reroute the mainline to a similar alignment and avoid the impacts to the towns and Blackwater Canyon altogether.

Why were they going to have to build a truck bypass? Would that routing of Corridor H be unsuitable for trucks?

WV 32 (and now US 48) split into a pair of one-way streets on separate elevations. My guess is that the truck bypass would be needed for what would be the new routing of US 219 splitting from US 48 heading north toward I-68.

No, the truck bypass is for WV 32 to take truck traffic off the pair of one-way streets through downtown Thomas. There is no new routing of US 219 planned north of Thomas.

But wouldn't this become the route of US 219 once Corridor H is built? Or would US 219 split off from US 48 out near the high school at the top of the mountain and then following the existing route and turn left at the bridge where it currently intersects WV 32, and US 48 currently splits?

DOH hasn't indicated what route US 219 would take, but considering that they left WV 42 and WV 93 on their original alignments near Bismarck I wouldn't be surprised if US 219 stays on its existing alignment.

[seicer]

https://transportation.wv.gov/highways/major-projects/Corridor-H/route/Documents/Parson%20to%20Davis/Parsons-to-Davis_Complete-Handout.pdf

This is the handout from the September workshop on the Parsons-Davis segment. It actually answers many of my questions regarding the viewshed of the highway - route re-designations, and more. It looks like the truck bypass will be WV Route 32 with the existing route through Thomas becoming WV Route 32 Business. See page 6 for the selected route.

Roll plot for that segment: https://transportation.wv.gov/highways/major-projects/Corridor-H/route/Documents/Parson%20to%20Davis/2022-09-07-Corridor-H-Mainline-Roll-Plot-500.pdf

This more clearly shows that the N. Fork Blackwater River bridge will be an arch, and that there will be a split in the median further west. I wish that West Virginia actually built more of its highways with split elevations or medians - it provides more variety in driving and can be more complimentary to the terrain.

https://transportation.wv.gov/highways/engineering/comment/CorridorH-WardensvilletoVaLine/Documents/ROW-Plans.pdf

ROW plans for the Wardensville-Virginia segment which shows the highway being tapered down with grading for a future extension into Virginia planned (even if Virginia does not have active plans for that).

[74/171FAN]

So I guess WV 32 BUS would be the first business route in WV?

[hbelkins]

So I guess WV 32 BUS would be the first business route in WV?

West Virginia never could make up its mind whether it wanted to sign the route through downtown Hurricane as ALT WV 34 or Business WV 34. At one time, it was signed both ways.

[cpzilliacus]

Washington Post gets in on the act.

West Virginians fear a road meant to help their towns could destroy them -
The Appalachian highway project, expanding to the scenic Blackwater Falls area, has been 60 years in the making

I am not an attorney but I know that the litigation about Corridor H and the route that it takes was settled decades ago, in about 2000.  Not sure that the federal courts want to spend more time and resources on something that was litigated and settled over two decades ago.

Rodd, who has worked to preserve the natural landscape in and around Blackwater Falls since the 1990s, said the nonprofit organization has been raising money to extend existing bike and walking trails along the North Fork of the Blackwater River, past Douglas Falls and into Blackwater State Park – right below the planned site of the bridge crossing.

She and other opponents complain that West Virginia Division of Highway (DOH) officials have given short shrift to environmental and historical preservation. They say the massive highway project is the sort of state and federal highway project that sometimes split neighborhoods and created other harmful, unintended consequences reaching far into the future.

Wriston, the state's transportation secretary, expressed little patience for what he said was "a small minority"  spreading "misinformation"  on the need to find a northern alternative. He said moving the planned route northward would have more severe environmental impacts, delay the project and cost more.

"We've been working on Corridor H for three decades now,"  Wriston said in a brief interview after testifying before a congressional panel last month. He had expressed to that panel his frustration with federal micromanaging of state projects and environmental concerns about a species of bumblebee recently found near Corridor H that could delay construction. "There's nothing left to study,"  he said. "It's everything I talked about today."

[cpzilliacus]

DOH hasn't indicated what route US 219 would take, but considering that they left WV 42 and WV 93 on their original alignments near Bismarck I wouldn't be surprised if US 219 stays on its existing alignment.

WV-55 between Wardensville and north of Lost River was put on Corridor H and the old road signed "Old Route 55" which I have seen in other parts of West Virginia too.

[cpzilliacus]

So I guess WV 32 BUS would be the first business route in WV?

My guess is that the truck route bypass of Thomas becomes US-219  and then joins US-48 on Corridor H for the trip to Elkins, and that old US-219 is signed as Old 219 or OLD US-219.

[hbelkins]

So I guess WV 32 BUS would be the first business route in WV?

My guess is that the truck route bypass of Thomas becomes US-219  and then joins US-48 on Corridor H for the trip to Elkins, and that old US-219 is signed as Old 219 or OLD US-219.

And probably given a county route number.

[Rothman]

Pfft.  "Federal micromanaging" as they just follow NEPA.  Cry me a river.

[cpzilliacus]

Pfft.  "Federal micromanaging" as they just follow NEPA.  Cry me a river.

NEPA is the law and it needs to be followed.  The NEPA process is why Corridor H eastbound diverges sharply from US-33 at Elkins and heads to the north and east toward Parsons and then splits the difference between Thomas and Davis (east of Thomas and Davis, the road is open to Wardensville in Hardy County (WVDOT plans to have the section up to the Virginia/West Virginia under contract in 2024)). The original early Corridor H plans had it running roughly along US-33 all the way from Elkins to Harrisonburg, Virginia,. a distance of about 120 miles along present-day US-33. Hence the "racetrack" section of US-33 east of Elkins - at one time, that would have been Corridor H.

There was litigation that was settled in 2000 in the federal courts that avoided environmentally sensitive areas including Seneca Rocks, Corrick's Ford Battlefield and habitat of the West Virginia Northern Flying Squirrel (that is what WVDOT calls this animal in environmental documents).

An EIS and SDEIS have been completed for Corridor H between Parsons and Thomas/Davis.  IMO the people that do not like this route should not be granted another bite of the apple to further delay the project.

[Rothman]

Pfft.  "Federal micromanaging" as they just follow NEPA.  Cry me a river.

NEPA is the law and it needs to be followed.  The NEPA process is why Corridor H eastbound diverges sharply from US-33 at Elkins and heads to the north and east toward Parsons and then splits the difference between Thomas and Davis (east of Thomas and Davis, the road is open to Wardensville in Hardy County (WVDOT plans to have the section up to the Virginia/West Virginia under contract in 2024)). The original early Corridor H plans had it running roughly along US-33 all the way from Elkins to Harrisonburg, Virginia,. a distance of about 120 miles along present-day US-33. Hence the "racetrack" section of US-33 east of Elkins - at one time, that would have been Corridor H.

There was litigation that was settled in 2000 in the federal courts that avoided environmentally sensitive areas including Seneca Rocks, Corrick's Ford Battlefield and habitat of the West Virginia Northern Flying Squirrel (that is what WVDOT calls this animal in environmental documents).

An EIS and SDEIS have been completed for Corridor H between Parsons and Thomas/Davis.  IMO the people that do not like this route should not be granted another bite of the apple to further delay the project.

I was referring to the Transportation Secretary whining about FHWA's ongoing concerns.  FHWA is following NEPA, which we both agree should be followed.

[SP Cook]

Understand there was back in 2000 no one to "settle"  with. 

A small group of sell-appointed BANANAs (very few NIMBYs, mostly non-locals) called itself "Corridor H Alternatives"  (the "alternative"  was "live in squalor and poverty and drive on dangerous roads, we don't care, we have ours"  ) ran out of money and purported to settle with the state. 

Which was fine.  Except one group of extremists cannot settle for all extremists in the history of the world.  All that settlement covered was the tiny group of people in that self-appointed cabal.  There are people that were not even alive when that "settlement"  was made. 

The goal of the BANANAs remain the same, here and everywhere.  To prevent the progress of ordinary people.  The most recent things, including the supposed harm to the 595 residents of Davis, the "northern route"  crayon mark, and the discovery of a supposed rare strain of bumble bee, which, apparently is so special that it is incapable of flying 200 yards away from the construction site and getting on with whatever bumble bees do.  To kill this project and as many other projects, everywhere, as they can.  They have theirs.  They don't care about other people.

[seicer]

It's interesting that this area, long neglected, is receiving a major infusion of cash for major highways, so to speak. I would assume it's because of the state's major push to make the Allegheny Highlands a huge tourism draw.

- Completing Corridor H
- New terrain, 19-mile, four-lane US 522 alignment from Maryland to Virginia
- New terrain, four-lane US 220 alignment from Corridor H to I-68
- Thomas bypass