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Corridor H

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

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hbelkins

Quote from: Sherman Cahal on November 25, 2012, 06:01:10 PM
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.

The drive from Kerens to Davis is not dissimilar to the drive I make to work every day -- around 30 miles through rural, hilly to mountainous terrain. If I drive a similar route every day, driving this part of US 219 while on my way to points east and north is not a big deal.

QuoteI'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.

It's a quick fix. Basically, all that has to be done is build a stream crossing below the dam and then build two lanes parallel to the existing route. Very little earth-moving will have to be done from the west side of the dam on to Davis. It's a great PR move; shows that progress is being made. Not to mention that it will be a lot cheaper than building from Davis on to Parsons and then on to Kerens.


Government would be tolerable if not for politicians and bureaucrats.


Bitmapped

Quote
QuoteI'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.

It's a quick fix. Basically, all that has to be done is build a stream crossing below the dam and then build two lanes parallel to the existing route. Very little earth-moving will have to be done from the west side of the dam on to Davis. It's a great PR move; shows that progress is being made. Not to mention that it will be a lot cheaper than building from Davis on to Parsons and then on to Kerens.

Looking at the plans WVDOH has for Corridor H at http://www.wvcorridorh.com/mapping/, I'd say probably half of the Davis-Bismarck segment will actually be on a new alignment.  It's not just a dualization.  From a PR perspective it does show more getting done but it doesn't really add any functional value.  I'd have rather seen the money spent on Kerens-Parsons or Parsons-Davis where there would a practical improvement.

cpzilliacus

Quote from: Bitmapped on November 26, 2012, 08:02:33 PM
I'd have rather seen the money spent on Kerens-Parsons or Parsons-Davis where there would a practical improvement.

I agree. 

Existing U.S. 219 from Kerens to Davis is a pretty twisty and winding road, and having a new highway on a new alignment will be a major (and probably expensive) improvement.
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: Bitmapped on November 26, 2012, 08:02:33 PMLooking at the plans WVDOH has for Corridor H at http://www.wvcorridorh.com/mapping/, I'd say probably half of the Davis-Bismarck segment will actually be on a new alignment.  It's not just a dualization.

That seems a real waste, given that Virginia has four-laned a lot of roads by building a parallel carriageway and not improving the old one, and in this case the existing route is pretty flat and straight.

QuoteFrom a PR perspective it does show more getting done but it doesn't really add any functional value.  I'd have rather seen the money spent on Kerens-Parsons or Parsons-Davis where there would a practical improvement.

Agreed. And I still think there needs to be a US 219/US 250 bypass of Elkins.


Government would be tolerable if not for politicians and bureaucrats.

Bitmapped

Quote from: hbelkins on November 28, 2012, 12:08:17 AM
Agreed. And I still think there needs to be a US 219/US 250 bypass of Elkins.

WVDOH actually has plans for 3-phase Elkins bypass but there is no funding currently identified.  Phase 1 would be 2 lanes from WV 92 near its Corridor H intersection, crossing the Tygart Valley River twice, and ending near Sullivan Junction (where Scott Ford and Ward Roads intersect).  Phase 2 would be 4 lanes from there to US 219/US 250.  Phase 3 would be 4 lanes from US 219/US 250 along the Isner Creek Road corridor to US 33 where the 4-lane segment ends east of Elkins.

hbelkins

Drove the new route last week as part of my trip to the Pennsylvania meet. Lots of construction along WV 93; they've made a lot of progress since the last time I was across that area.

Found it interesting that there is no signage for US 48 at the WV 42/WV 93 intersection at the bottom of the hill at Scherr, the way there is at Knobley Road on WV 42.


Government would be tolerable if not for politicians and bureaucrats.

froggie

QuoteThat seems a real waste, given that Virginia has four-laned a lot of roads by building a parallel carriageway and not improving the old one, and in this case the existing route is pretty flat and straight.

I believe there are 2 reasons for this.  First, unlike Virginia, West Virginia has made it a point to improve the old carriageway to modern standards whenever it was used on a 4-laning project.  This is a good thing, IMO, and I am very annoyed with Virginia taking the "cheap way out" when there is documented need to smooth out hills, curves, and add shoulders on its old carriageways.

The second reason is that many of the curves along WV 93 don't meet design standards for 65 MPH.  Especially one almost 90-degree curve west of the dam.  I believe this is why only about 5 miles of the existing WV 93 alignment will be used for the dualization.

hbelkins

Quote from: froggie on December 12, 2012, 10:47:20 AM
QuoteThat seems a real waste, given that Virginia has four-laned a lot of roads by building a parallel carriageway and not improving the old one, and in this case the existing route is pretty flat and straight.

I believe there are 2 reasons for this.  First, unlike Virginia, West Virginia has made it a point to improve the old carriageway to modern standards whenever it was used on a 4-laning project.  This is a good thing, IMO, and I am very annoyed with Virginia taking the "cheap way out" when there is documented need to smooth out hills, curves, and add shoulders on its old carriageways.

The second reason is that many of the curves along WV 93 don't meet design standards for 65 MPH.  Especially one almost 90-degree curve west of the dam.  I believe this is why only about 5 miles of the existing WV 93 alignment will be used for the dualization.

Never meant to imply that WV should not improve the existing carriageway. It does look like in some places, they will be building a second carriageway and then improving the existing. There's no good way to expand the dam to four lanes so it makes sense that a bridge would be built below the dam.


Government would be tolerable if not for politicians and bureaucrats.

cpzilliacus

Quote from: froggie on December 12, 2012, 10:47:20 AM
QuoteThat seems a real waste, given that Virginia has four-laned a lot of roads by building a parallel carriageway and not improving the old one, and in this case the existing route is pretty flat and straight.

I believe there are 2 reasons for this.  First, unlike Virginia, West Virginia has made it a point to improve the old carriageway to modern standards whenever it was used on a 4-laning project.  This is a good thing, IMO, and I am very annoyed with Virginia taking the "cheap way out" when there is documented need to smooth out hills, curves, and add shoulders on its old carriageways.

Virginia is not alone in such practices. 

Maryland has done it as well.  An especially egregious example is Maryland 4 in Calvert County, between Md. 260 (Anne Arundel County line) and Prince Frederick.  Have you ever driven from metropolitan D.C. to NAS Patuxent River by way of Md. 4 (instead of Md. 5 and Md. 235)?

Some sections of U.S. 29 in Howard County were also dualized using the "cheap way out" method.
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.

mtfallsmikey

#309
Quote from: cpzilliacus on December 12, 2012, 01:03:00 PM
Quote from: froggie on December 12, 2012, 10:47:20 AMThat seems a real waste, given that Virginia has four-laned a lot of roads by building a parallel carriageway and not improving the old one, and in this case the existing route is pretty flat and straight.

I believe there are 2 reasons for this.  First, unlike Virginia, West Virginia has made it a point to improve the old carriageway to modern standards whenever it was used on a 4-laning project.  This is a good thing, IMO, and I am very annoyed with Virginia taking the "cheap way out" when there is documented need to smooth out hills, curves, and add shoulders on its old carriageways.

I've been on that stretch of Rt. 4, it is terrible. As far as Rt. 48/proposed in Va. is concerned, there are pieces of it that will either use or parallel the existing route according to the original design I saw, especially thru GWNF.

how the heck did you quote like that?

seicer

Try driving on US 460 in Virginia in rain. While the improved carriageway was very nice with shoulders, good sight distances, smooth pavement - when it reverted to the old carriageway (and swapped between the old and new quite frequently), it was quite terrible. Narrower lanes, poor sight distances - with a lot of sharp crests, and wavy pavement.

As for Corridor H, I estimated that 70% of the roadway (and general alignment) west of the dam would be used based on my last trip. They were smoothing out some curves with preliminary grading, but there were difficulties with alignment selection due to Canaan Valley and Canaan Valley Institute bordering it to the south.

There is an old rail grade for part of the length, an old WM line, that should be repurposed for a rail to trail. It'd be a great connection to the ongoing efforts to convert the WM line through Thomas into a trail to connect the Blackwater Canyon Trail (http://www.americanbyways.com/2012/06/15/blackwater-canyon-trail/).

froggie

QuoteAs for Corridor H, I estimated that 70% of the roadway (and general alignment) west of the dam would be used based on my last trip. They were smoothing out some curves with preliminary grading, but there were difficulties with alignment selection due to Canaan Valley and Canaan Valley Institute bordering it to the south.

I'd looked up the actual plans awhile back.  About 5 miles worth will use the existing lanes.  Your percentage is about right for the general alignment.

QuoteThere is an old rail grade for part of the length, an old WM line, that should be repurposed for a rail to trail. It'd be a great connection to the ongoing efforts to convert the WM line through Thomas into a trail to connect the Blackwater Canyon Trail

Concur.

jpi

I was going to check out the progress on corridor H this weekend when Steph and I head home to PA for Christmas but thanks to winter storm Draco, looks like I will have to put this off until the spring.
Jason Ilyes
JPI
Lebanon, TN
Home Of The Barrel

froggie

Quotethanks to winter storm Draco

(off-topic)  Please tell me you're saying this in jest and not actually using these bastard winter storm names from TWC...

CanesFan27

People outside of The Weather Channel actually use those names?  I purposely don't watch TWC so I don't know how hard they've been pushing it.

oscar

Quote from: CanesFan27 on December 20, 2012, 08:22:08 AM
People outside of The Weather Channel actually use those names?  I purposely don't watch TWC so I don't know how hard they've been pushing it.

Parts of Ontario and Quebec are due to get a big chunk of the winter storm TWC calls "Draco".  The Weather Network (Canadian counterpart to TWC) isn't playing along with that name, nor is it contriving a name of its own. 
my Hot Springs and Highways pages, with links to my roads sites:
http://www.alaskaroads.com/home.html

seicer

TWC is owned by NBCUniversal. Their goal is to milk TWC for every bit that it is worth - which is why you now have named winter storms, "reality" programming, even more "brave" weatherfolks standing in inch-deep water proclaiming how dangerous the situation is...

cpzilliacus

Quote from: oscar on December 20, 2012, 09:12:23 AM
Quote from: CanesFan27 on December 20, 2012, 08:22:08 AM
People outside of The Weather Channel actually use those names?  I purposely don't watch TWC so I don't know how hard they've been pushing it.

Parts of Ontario and Quebec are due to get a big chunk of the winter storm TWC calls "Draco".  The Weather Network (Canadian counterpart to TWC) isn't playing along with that name, nor is it contriving a name of its own. 

"Draco?"  As in Malfoy? As in Harry Potter (admittedly a Warner Brothers production, but the Harry Potter theme park is part of the NBCUniversal operation in Orlando).
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.

rickmastfan67

Quote from: Sherman Cahal on December 20, 2012, 10:01:54 AM
TWC is owned by NBCUniversal. Their goal is to milk TWC for every bit that it is worth - which is why you now have named winter storms, "reality" programming, even more "brave" weatherfolks standing in inch-deep water proclaiming how dangerous the situation is...

I honestly thought that "Storm Stories" was a decent program.

oscar

Quote from: rickmastfan67 on December 21, 2012, 01:11:43 AM
Quote from: Sherman Cahal on December 20, 2012, 10:01:54 AM
TWC is owned by NBCUniversal. Their goal is to milk TWC for every bit that it is worth - which is why you now have named winter storms, "reality" programming, even more "brave" weatherfolks standing in inch-deep water proclaiming how dangerous the situation is...

I honestly thought that "Storm Stories" was a decent program.

Agreed.  But now TWC is straying too much into non-weather programming.  "Coast Guard Alaska" (TWC's contribution to the glut of Alaska "reality" shows) and "Ice Pilots" come to mind.  It's getting harder and harder to get actual weather information when you tune in. 
my Hot Springs and Highways pages, with links to my roads sites:
http://www.alaskaroads.com/home.html

cpzilliacus

Quote from: oscar on December 21, 2012, 04:16:43 AM
Quote from: rickmastfan67 on December 21, 2012, 01:11:43 AM
Quote from: Sherman Cahal on December 20, 2012, 10:01:54 AM
TWC is owned by NBCUniversal. Their goal is to milk TWC for every bit that it is worth - which is why you now have named winter storms, "reality" programming, even more "brave" weatherfolks standing in inch-deep water proclaiming how dangerous the situation is...

I honestly thought that "Storm Stories" was a decent program.

Agreed.  But now TWC is straying too much into non-weather programming.  "Coast Guard Alaska" (TWC's contribution to the glut of Alaska "reality" shows) and "Ice Pilots" come to mind.  It's getting harder and harder to get actual weather information when you tune in. 

You have been in Alaska.  What  is your opinion of those shows?

I personally like Alaska State Troopers on National Geographic Channel (because I like cop reality shows, but also because this show seems to strive to show the entire huge state, and not just Anchorage and Fairbanks, as well as a lot of the gorgeous Alaska landscape).
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.

oscar

Quote from: cpzilliacus on December 21, 2012, 09:10:45 AM
Quote from: oscar on December 21, 2012, 04:16:43 AM

Agreed.  But now TWC is straying too much into non-weather programming.  "Coast Guard Alaska" (TWC's contribution to the glut of Alaska "reality" shows) and "Ice Pilots" come to mind.  It's getting harder and harder to get actual weather information when you tune in. 

You have been in Alaska.  What  is your opinion of those shows?

I personally like Alaska State Troopers on National Geographic Channel (because I like cop reality shows, but also because this show seems to strive to show the entire huge state, and not just Anchorage and Fairbanks, as well as a lot of the gorgeous Alaska landscape).

There is such a glut of Alaska-based shows, that I don't try to watch them all.  My favorite was "Flying Wild Alaska" (series just concluded), which featured the really remote places in northwestern Alaska.  I also watch "Ice Road Truckers", though it includes even more obviously phony drama than usual, including but not limited to the use of trick photography to make the Dalton Highway look even scarier than it really is.

I've seen snippets of "Alaska State Troopers" and "Coast Guard Alaska," but not enough to inspire me to watch those shows regularly.  Ditto "Ice Pilots" which is set only in northern Canada.  I have never watched "Deadliest Catch" (landlubber that I am, even though I spent a few days in Dutch Harbor), and while I DVR'd all the episodes of "Sarah Palin's Alaska" I haven't gone back to watch any of them.
my Hot Springs and Highways pages, with links to my roads sites:
http://www.alaskaroads.com/home.html

agentsteel53

Quote from: oscar on December 21, 2012, 12:00:01 PMMy favorite was "Flying Wild Alaska" (series just concluded)

I like that show, but they really do time it around the commercials - exaggerating a dramatic point just before a break. 

it helps to

a) watch using Netflix/Amazon/whatnot, where there is no pause
b) remember that they have interviews with the presented subjects, so clearly they made it out alive

but still, after the break, they return and immediately resolve the problem (other pilot takes over, that kind of thing).
live from sunny San Diego.

http://shields.aaroads.com

jake@aaroads.com

dave19

#323
Button-copy sign about to bite the dust...
http://www.theintermountain.com/page/content.detail/id/558791/Icy-roads-hamper-travel-in-region.html?nav=5014
The Intermountain web site also has a gallery of 51 Corridor H construction photos. None has a caption saying where exactly they were taken, and they have a load of stupid watermarks all over them. They were taken from a helicopter; after the first 5 photos they start west of the dam and go east, though not always in order, over to the newly opened part, then back to the dam area.
http://cu.theintermountain.com/NewsEvents/Corridor-H-construction/27605428_bLs6Ms#!i=2324534397&k=fMMMmWm

hbelkins

Those watermarks make those pictures un-viewable.


Government would be tolerable if not for politicians and bureaucrats.



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