Topic: US 35 in West Virginia (Read 44747 times)

The Ghostbuster · « **Reply #75 on:** June 03, 2021, 12:55:34 PM »

I find it hard to believe that the US 35 designation once spanned along WV 62 between Charleston and Point Pleasant, and went into Ohio via the original ill-fated Silver Bridge over the Ohio River. Now it is vacating the WV 817 corridor for a new four-lane corridor, whose "missing link" hopefully will be completed soon. Go figure!

ysuindy · « **Reply #76 on:** June 08, 2021, 08:44:27 PM »

Story today that the new highway will open by the end of August

https://wchstv.com/news/local/final-15-mile-stretch-of-us-35-upgrade-to-four-lanes-expected-to-be-completed-in-august

GreenLanternCorps · « **Reply #77 on:** July 26, 2021, 07:14:40 AM »

Just drove this section of US 35 going to and from Scout Camp with my son down in North Carolina.

The four lane bypass is sorely needed. While traffic moves smoothly on the two lane portion, there was so much of it that anyone living or working along that road would have difficulty simply turning on to the road.

Apple Maps now has the entire construction zone showing in it's satellite view. Google maps has bupkis.

SP Cook · « **Reply #78 on:** July 28, 2021, 10:34:56 AM »

WV DOT has changed the opening date to “sometime in October”.

Part of the issue has been, IMHO, the odd method in which the previous segments were done. In every other case I can think of, they built the new road a couple of hundred yards past what will be an exit, with traffic forced down what will someday just be an exit. Then when the next segment is finished, you just pull up the Jersey barriers and there you go.

Did not do that here. Both ends have long segments to tie into the old road, as if it was to be the permanent end, which was never the plan. The tie in at the Buffalo/Toyota bridge is done, which added time, but the one at the other end has not even started, at least a quarter mile of construction not even started.

Also, the state has decided to improve the Buffalo/Toyota Bridge exit. Was just going to be an at grade intersection, but will be reworked into an actual interstate type exit. Which is needed.

hbelkins · « **Reply #79 on:** July 28, 2021, 11:18:00 AM »

Quote from: SP Cook on July 28, 2021, 10:34:56 AM

WV DOT has changed the opening date to “sometime in October”.

Part of the issue has been, IMHO, the odd method in which the previous segments were done. In every other case I can think of, they built the new road a couple of hundred yards past what will be an exit, with traffic forced down what will someday just be an exit. Then when the next segment is finished, you just pull up the Jersey barriers and there you go.

Did not do that here. Both ends have long segments to tie into the old road, as if it was to be the permanent end, which was never the plan. The tie in at the Buffalo/Toyota bridge is done, which added time, but the one at the other end has not even started, at least a quarter mile of construction not even started.

Also, the state has decided to improve the Buffalo/Toyota Bridge exit. Was just going to be an at grade intersection, but will be reworked into an actual interstate type exit. Which is needed.

Hope it isn't too late in October. I'd planned to go up there and check out the completed section and make a little longer trip out of it, hoping it was at the peak of foliage season. Doubt I'll go to NRG and the Bridge Day crowd, but was thinking the Beckley/Princeton/Wytheville area for an overnight stay.

As best I could tell from my trip up that way a few weeks ago, there will be only one access point on the new section. I didn't drive up all the county roads running west off the existing route, because many of them were little one-lane gravel roads.

Looked like there was a bridge at the southern end to facilitate a grade-separated interchange.

GCrites80s · « **Reply #80 on:** July 28, 2021, 11:36:14 AM »

I like the foilage to be down so that I can see old alignments better

SP Cook · « **Reply #81 on:** September 10, 2021, 08:56:06 AM »

https://transportation.wv.gov/communications/PressRelease/Pages/Traffic-Flowing-Smoothly-on-Newly-Opened-US-35-Entrance-Ramp.aspx?fbclid=IwAR1tOxOy-a2UxK-RrgjyUqjs6E6GfbycX35cZsu3dYZhKQbdKQGJ4C-PySo

Small victory today, as the quirky connector at the south end of the construction is replaced with the ordinary on-ramp (which is what they should have done in the first place). The connector has been the site of a number of accidents.

hbelkins · « **Reply #82 on:** September 10, 2021, 10:26:53 AM »

Wonder when the mainline will finally open to traffic? I saw a WVDOT release that said there would be some work in a 60- to 90-day time frame to work on the connectors on either end.

Kentucky would get the grade and base surface done, then open the road and do final paving under traffic.

SP Cook · « **Reply #83 on:** September 10, 2021, 02:19:15 PM »

AFAIK, there is about 6 miles of final paving in one direction left, plus some signs, which is NBD.

The issue is the also odd junction at the north end. You can see it on the topographic overlay on Google Maps. I assume they are going to force traffic onto 817 further up the road (there is a junction about a mile away) and rework the lanes as quickly as possible. I really don’t see any other way.

Bitmapped · « **Reply #84 on:** September 10, 2021, 08:21:08 PM »

Quote from: SP Cook on September 10, 2021, 02:19:15 PM

AFAIK, there is about 6 miles of final paving in one direction left, plus some signs, which is NBD.

The issue is the also odd junction at the north end. You can see it on the topographic overlay on Google Maps. I assume they are going to force traffic onto 817 further up the road (there is a junction about a mile away) and rework the lanes as quickly as possible. I really don’t see any other way.

From the satellite imagery on Google Maps, it looks like the new lanes are graded to just beyond the guardrail. I don't see why you would have to shut down this section of road entirely. At worst, it looks like you could shunt both directions onto one side while you tie in the other side.

SP Cook · « **Reply #85 on:** September 12, 2021, 12:16:45 PM »

I went up there (the northern end of the gap) and it is a mess. Major delays, as they try to work the new lanes in on the old construction, which will involve shifting everything to one side. There is also at least a quarter mile of new road that simply is not there, no prep at all.

There is no way they are going to be done in October

hbelkins · « **Reply #86 on:** October 03, 2021, 08:25:09 PM »

What's the latest on this? Are they making progress? Or do I need to postpone my trip to come drive the new road after Thanksgiving?

SP Cook · « **Reply #87 on:** October 04, 2021, 09:43:25 AM »

Last official announcement is “sometime between October 20th and Thanksgiving”.

I’m doubtful. The weird way the northern end, well, ended just made a mess that is taking a long time to fix.

2trailertrucker · « **Reply #88 on:** October 21, 2021, 05:49:15 AM »

The opening is a “moving target”.
https://wchstv.com/news/local/a-moving-target-wva-doh-says-us-35-completion-now-set-for-this-fall

hbelkins · « **Reply #89 on:** October 21, 2021, 08:26:33 PM »

Hope it happens by Thanksgiving. If the weather is good, I'm looking to go up there the first week of December as a 60th birthday present to myself.

GCrites80s · « **Reply #90 on:** October 21, 2021, 09:58:49 PM »

Weather should cooperate considering real winter hasn't started until January 20th or later most recent years. And that's up here in Columbus!

SP Cook · « **Reply #91 on:** November 05, 2021, 03:49:30 PM »

And, finally.

https://www.wsaz.com/2021/11/05/ribbon-cutting-celebration-scheduled-final-section-us-35/

Veteran’s Day.

rickmastfan67 · « **Reply #92 on:** November 08, 2021, 07:51:14 PM »

Quote from: SP Cook on November 05, 2021, 03:49:30 PM

And, finally.

https://www.wsaz.com/2021/11/05/ribbon-cutting-celebration-scheduled-final-section-us-35/

Veteran’s Day.

Can't wait to see if WV-869 now gets signed along the segment US-35 vacates between the current southern end of the 4-lane and the Lower Buffalo Bridge (the bridge is currently WV-869, but unsigned).

hbelkins · « **Reply #93 on:** November 09, 2021, 03:10:36 PM »

Quote from: rickmastfan67 on November 08, 2021, 07:51:14 PM

Quote from: SP Cook on November 05, 2021, 03:49:30 PM
And, finally.

https://www.wsaz.com/2021/11/05/ribbon-cutting-celebration-scheduled-final-section-us-35/

Veteran’s Day.

Can't wait to see if WV-869 now gets signed along the segment US-35 vacates between the current southern end of the 4-lane and the Lower Buffalo Bridge (the bridge is currently WV-869, but unsigned).

Hadn't thought about that, but wouldn't be surprised if it's just signed "To WV 62/To WV 812," given West Virginia's penchant for not signing numbered bridges.

Seems to me that it would be logical to straighten out the existing intersection near the bridge to make WV 817 a through route, and do a jughandle-type connection between WV 817 and the bridge approach route. It's oddly aligned now.

rickmastfan67 · « **Reply #94 on:** November 09, 2021, 09:04:10 PM »

Quote from: hbelkins on November 09, 2021, 03:10:36 PM

Quote from: rickmastfan67 on November 08, 2021, 07:51:14 PM
Quote from: SP Cook on November 05, 2021, 03:49:30 PM
And, finally.

https://www.wsaz.com/2021/11/05/ribbon-cutting-celebration-scheduled-final-section-us-35/

Veteran’s Day.

Can't wait to see if WV-869 now gets signed along the segment US-35 vacates between the current southern end of the 4-lane and the Lower Buffalo Bridge (the bridge is currently WV-869, but unsigned).

Hadn't thought about that, but wouldn't be surprised if it's just signed "To WV 62/To WV 812," given West Virginia's penchant for not signing numbered bridges.

Seems to me that it would be logical to straighten out the existing intersection near the bridge to make WV 817 a through route, and do a jughandle-type connection between WV 817 and the bridge approach route. It's oddly aligned now.

It was a jughandle before they built the new alignment of US-35 there and tied it into the old road there. LOL!

GreenLanternCorps · « **Reply #95 on:** November 10, 2021, 08:31:44 AM »

Ceremony tomorrow:

https://www.herald-dispatch.com/news/putnam_news/joint-ceremony-to-celebrate-veterans-completion-of-u-s-35/article_15d3aa4a-6033-5ea5-9e48-429484340908.html

seicer · « **Reply #96 on:** November 10, 2021, 09:26:33 AM »

The comments on Facebook are great. They allowed GIFs on one of the threads and it was a bunch of people posting roller coaster graphics - because that's pretty much what the pavement is like throughout the entire highway from I-64 to Point Pleasant.

SP Cook · « **Reply #97 on:** November 10, 2021, 11:24:27 AM »

Video.

https://governor.wv.gov/News/press-releases/2021/Pages/Governor-Justice-to-host-ribbon-cutting-celebration-for-final-section-of-US-35.aspx

SP Cook · « **Reply #98 on:** November 10, 2021, 01:05:08 PM »

Some more media.

https://wvmetronews.com/2021/11/10/u-s-35-the-long-road-to-completion/

hbelkins · « **Reply #99 on:** November 10, 2021, 02:44:06 PM »

Quote from: seicer on November 10, 2021, 09:26:33 AM

The comments on Facebook are great. They allowed GIFs on one of the threads and it was a bunch of people posting roller coaster graphics - because that's pretty much what the pavement is like throughout the entire highway from I-64 to Point Pleasant.

Saw in their bid lettings yesterday that they're going to resurface the portion between I-64 and WV 34.

My recollection of traveling the four-lane back in the spring is that the worst section is north of WV 34, not the part that first opened.

News:

Author Topic: US 35 in West Virginia (Read 44747 times)