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Corridor H

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

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machpost

Quote from: oscar on October 27, 2014, 08:39:43 PM
Quote from: hbelkins on October 27, 2014, 08:36:53 PM
Why is that a 45 mph zone? Because of adjacent construction? Because most every time I've driven that road, i was able to do 65-70 mph and there was very little traffic.

Probably a lot of adjacent construction.  It was a real mess around this time last year.

Correct. There appears to be active construction, seven days a week, nearly all the way to Davis now.


CVski

Just arrived in Canaan Valley from NOVA.  The new 1.5 mile segment of highway is now open from Bismarck to the interchange just below the dam.  In addition, two-way traffic has been moved from the old road over to the new carriage way for the entire (6-8 mi?) stretch from the railroad crossing up to Beaver Creek at the Tucker County line.   Still marked at 45 mph everywhere.  There are some interesting new vistas, including a view down into the quarry just after passing the Mettiki coal mine entrance.   As it crosses the eastern divide, Corridor H must be reaching a new highest point as far as elevation, before you descend slightly down to Davis.


CVski

Correction:  New segment is 1.9 miles in length.  Shortly after passing the RR crossing above Mt. Storm, two-way traffic runs for about 1 mile on the new road, then detours back to old Rt. 93 for 3 miles, and then returns back to the new carriage way for just about 5 more miles.  All traffic returns to old Rt 93 at the Beaver Creek crossing, just in front of the Rubenstein Juvenile Center.       

Bitmapped

I drove Corridor H between Davis and I-81 yesterday.  As CVski says, there are about 8 miles between the Rubenstein Center and Mount Storm Lake now where traffic is on the newly built eastbound lanes.  The 4-lane part from the interchange east of Mount Storm Lake to the WV 42 Bismarck connector is also open.

All of the construction has concrete travel lanes and shoulders.  About half of the new Davis-Bismarck section has Cor-Ten guardrails like the other recently built eastern sections of Corridor H.  The rest has traditional galvanized guardrail.

oscar

#679
Quote from: CVski on November 24, 2014, 08:18:53 PM
Correction:  New segment is 1.9 miles in length.  Shortly after passing the RR crossing above Mt. Storm, two-way traffic runs for about 1 mile on the new road, then detours back to old Rt. 93 for 3 miles, and then returns back to the new carriage way for just about 5 more miles.  All traffic returns to old Rt 93 at the Beaver Creek crossing, just in front of the Rubenstein Juvenile Center.       

I was there earlier today (more to follow later, including a few photos).  My car's nav system, which uses ~2007 maps (never updated), indicates that much of the "new carriage way" is twinning of the old carriageway, with only a few short departures from the old alignment (in addition to the larger deviations noted by CVski).

Two more quick notes:

US 48 signage is on the new road west to the WV 93 interchange, and at the interchange itself directing traffic to US 48 eastbound.  But there is none west of there, including the parts of WV 93 following what will be the new Corridor H carriageways.

Also, all westbound traffic must exit at the WV 93 interchange and use WV 93 past the Mt. Storm plant, before returning to what will be the new Corridor H carriageways.  Eastbound traffic has to do the same moves in reverse. 

Barricades block off new pavement and bridges that will later provide a direct connection, bypassing the Mt. Storm plant.  How soon might that bypass open?  The parts I could see looked close to ready, but there's a lot I couldn't see.
my Hot Springs and Highways pages, with links to my roads sites:
http://www.alaskaroads.com/home.html

oscar

#680
Here are many of the photos I took on my Corridor H construction tour last Monday.



^   The newly-extended US 48 westbound, just west of the old end at Communications Drive (signed as "To WV 42").  The US 48 extension is signed here, on the eastbound lanes just east of the new WV 93 interchange, and in both directions on WV 93 at that interchange.  This new US 48 marker needs a more solid mounting (perhaps using two supports rather than just one, like many other signs), since it was flapping around a bit that windy day, and I had to wait for a break between wind gusts for the sign to steady enough for me to photograph it.




^   Two photos from Communications Drive southbound of its intersection with US 48.  The closeup photo shows a WV 48 sign-o (maybe the same contractor who previously put up other sign-os elsewhere in the vicinity).



^   Back on westbound US 48, approaching the WV 93 interchange, where all US 48 traffic is required to exit.



^   The end of that exit ramp.  The route signs in the background are for WV 93.  There are no signs indicating that US 48 continues in either direction.




^   The new US 48-WV 93 interchange, from WV 93 westbound (with the Mt. Storm power plant in the background) then eastbound.  None of the signs so far indicate that WV 93 will be relocated at this point onto the new US 48 roadway west of here once it opens.



^   An unopened new bridge, which will carry US 48 over the railroad track to the Mt. Storm power plant.  The track is to the right of the center pier.  The road to the left of the pier may be just a construction access, rather than for a future ramp carrying westbound WV 93 traffic to westbound US 48.



^   WV 93 meets the under-construction part of Corridor H here, at a perhaps-temporary at-grade intersection.  This photo shows the barricaded new pavement east of the intersection. 



^   Facing westbound from the same point, WV 93 traffic in both directions uses the concrete pavement on the left, that will be US 48's eastbound lanes.  The parallel future westbound lanes remain closed, and for now are mostly asphalt-surfaced (maybe they were the old WV 93 alignment?).



^   This sign, on WV 93 eastbound, between WV 32 and the beginning of the Corridor H work zone, is the only one showing a US 48 marker that I saw west of the new WV 93 interchange northeast of Mt. Storm.
my Hot Springs and Highways pages, with links to my roads sites:
http://www.alaskaroads.com/home.html

froggie

QuoteAn unopened new bridge, which will carry US 48 over the railroad track to the Mt. Storm power plant.  The track is to the right of the center pier.  The road to the left of the pier may be just a construction access, rather than for a future ramp carrying westbound WV 93 traffic to westbound US 48.

Assuming the final construction plans are similar to the preliminary design (Google Earth suggests yes), the road going under the bridge will become part of a frontage road on the other side of US 48....with the frontage road following WV 93's old alignment.

QuoteFacing westbound from the same point, WV 93 traffic in both directions uses the concrete pavement on the left, that will be US 48's eastbound lanes.  The parallel future westbound lanes remain closed, and for now are mostly asphalt-surfaced (maybe they were the old WV 93 alignment?).

Not in this area.  You need to get about 4 miles west of here to get to a point where the WV 93 lanes are utilized.

Bitmapped

Quote from: oscar on November 30, 2014, 07:59:49 AM
Here are many of the photos I took on my Corridor H construction tour last Monday.



^   The newly-extended US 48 westbound, just west of the old end at Communications Drive (signed as "To WV 42").  The US 48 extension is signed here, on the eastbound lanes just east of the new WV 93 interchange, and in both directions on WV 93 at that interchange.  This new US 48 marker needs a more solid mounting (perhaps using two supports rather than just one, like many other signs), since it was flapping around a bit that windy day, and I had to wait for a break between wind gusts for the sign to steady enough for me to photograph it.

If the signpost was two U-channels back-to-back, that would not be out of the ordinary for WVDOH when protected by a guardrail.  I can't tell from your photo.

When I was through the area last weekend, I noticed the signage for WV 42 was poorly done.  It looks like they hastily put up some signs so they could open the road.  I hope better permanent signage will be coming.

Quote from: oscar on November 30, 2014, 07:59:49 AM


^   The end of that exit ramp.  The route signs in the background are for WV 93.  There are no signs indicating that US 48 continues in either direction.

As far as WVDOH is concerned, US 48 ends at that ramp for now.  They've been OK with leaving the route with a dangling end (it was at a county route before).  Even when it gets to Davis, I doubt they'll tie it into US 219 at Thomas.

Quote from: oscar on November 30, 2014, 07:59:49 AM



^   The new US 48-WV 93 interchange, from WV 93 westbound (with the Mt. Storm power plant in the background) then eastbound.  None of the signs so far indicate that WV 93 will be relocated at this point onto the new US 48 roadway west of here once it opens.

Since WV 93 ends at Davis, there's really no reason to multiplex it with US 48 although that hasn't stopped WVDOH before.  I suspect it will be cut back to Mount Storm Lake or Scherr.  Personally, my preference would be to end WV 93 at its eastern Corridor H connector at Scherr and then realign WV 42 along old WV 93 and Corridor H to head up the mountain between Scherr and Bismarck.

Quote from: oscar on November 30, 2014, 07:59:49 AM

^   An unopened new bridge, which will carry US 48 over the railroad track to the Mt. Storm power plant.  The track is to the right of the center pier.  The road to the left of the pier may be just a construction access, rather than for a future ramp carrying westbound WV 93 traffic to westbound US 48.

When the project is done, this area will just be access to the power plant.  The railroad crossing out of the shot to the right will be removed.  There is a new intersection going in east of the railroad tracks to connect to current WV 93.  The road under the bridge and the road going off to the left will both remain so that coal trucks heading to the power plant don't have to make left turns across Corridor H.  See the plan sheets at http://www.wvcorridorh.com/mapping/corh_sh_29.pdf.

oscar

Quote from: Bitmapped on November 30, 2014, 09:52:15 AM
If the signpost was two U-channels back-to-back, that would not be out of the ordinary for WVDOH when protected by a guardrail.  I can't tell from your photo.

I don't know either.  But even if the signpost is solid (the post was not swaying in the wind, only the sign), the sign itself is not mounted well enough on the single post.  Considering how windy the area gets even when the weather is better (as suggested by the wind farm to the east), two bolts mounting the sign to a single post might not be enough, even if they're re-tightened, since they could come loose again as the sign flexes in the wind.  Two signposts could help in this location.
my Hot Springs and Highways pages, with links to my roads sites:
http://www.alaskaroads.com/home.html

cpzilliacus

Quote from: oscar on November 30, 2014, 07:59:49 AM
Here are many of the photos I took on my Corridor H construction tour last Monday.


Oscar, thanks for sharing these nice pictures.

Love how WVDOH likes to call its ADHS corridors "freeways," which they are usually not (they do meet my idea of expressways).
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: dave19 on December 16, 2014, 06:34:22 PM
  I drove over to the Bismarck area today. It appears that the section bypassing the dam is going to open soon. I didn't see to much action today (nor did I expect to) - they were working on guardrail around the overpass at the Bismarck interchange, I saw someone driving a roller around in the railroad overpass area, and it looked like some drainage work was going on about halfway to Davis on the north side of the road.
  More signage has been installed since oscar was there last month, especially west of the railroad overpass. Incredibly, they are going to sign WV 93 concurrently with US 48 west of there. As you approach the dam from the west (from Davis), there is a BGS that says WV 93/Bismarck, 2 miles. Then, after crossing the railroad overpass, is a sign directing route 93 off to the right, back onto its present alignment, after the RR crossing but before the dam. (see the right side of this map: http://www.wvcorridorh.com/mapping/corh_sh_29.pdf ) Shortly after that intersection,there is another BGS that says WV 93/Bismarck, 1 mile. East of the RR overpass, there are West US 48/West WV 93 assemblies.
  This makes no sense to me. It will probably confuse people who are not familiar with the area. I though that they would truncate 93 back to its historic terminus at Scherr, and I remember reading a web page somewhere that there was a plan to extend it east along US 50 and then have it replace WV 972.
  The WV 48 sign goof that appears in the photo upthread has been corrected. And that scenic overlook east of the WV 42 overpass is now open.
I'm not sure why the multiplex would be confusing to anyone. If anything, I think abruptly changing numbers while the corridor is still under construction would be more confusing to people.

FWIW, WVDOH has long liked useless multiplexes.  Today, WV 39 has a useless multiple with WV 16 for the last 6 miles into Gauley Bridge. Aside from the interchange connector at Moorefield, WV 55 is entirely multiplexed with other routes for its easternmost 211 miles. WV 92 and WV 28 also have 40+ mile multiplexes in the middle of their routes.  It used to be worse - WV 4 was formerly multiplexed with WV 20, US 33, WV 28, and US 50 from Buckhannon into Virginia.

I do agree the routes should be reshuffled.  I'd kill WV 55's multiplexes and move WV 42 onto part of current WV 93 and US 48 between Scherr and Bismarck. I'd either cut back WV 93 to Scherr or Mount Storm Lake. Hopefully DOH will review the issue once the have construction finished into Davis.

hbelkins

Quote from: Bitmapped on December 17, 2014, 02:42:41 PM
FWIW, WVDOH has long liked useless multiplexes.  Today, WV 39 has a useless multiple with WV 16 for the last 6 miles into Gauley Bridge. Aside from the interchange connector at Moorefield, WV 55 is entirely multiplexed with other routes for its easternmost 211 miles. WV 92 and WV 28 also have 40+ mile multiplexes in the middle of their routes.  It used to be worse - WV 4 was formerly multiplexed with WV 20, US 33, WV 28, and US 50 from Buckhannon into Virginia.

I do agree the routes should be reshuffled.  I'd kill WV 55's multiplexes and move WV 42 onto part of current WV 93 and US 48 between Scherr and Bismarck. I'd either cut back WV 93 to Scherr or Mount Storm Lake. Hopefully DOH will review the issue once the have construction finished into Davis.

Indeed, it was worse. I have seen maps showing WV 4 co-signed with US 60 west of Charleston all the way to at least Huntington, if not the Kentucky state line. And isn't there still some WV 92 signage along WV 7 in Morgantown?

I thought that WV 55 was signed as one long route to denote a single scenic corridor. With the addition of US 48 east from Wardensville to the Virginia state line, there's only one small section of it that is independently signed.


Government would be tolerable if not for politicians and bureaucrats.

Bitmapped

Quote from: hbelkins on December 17, 2014, 03:50:21 PM
Quote from: Bitmapped on December 17, 2014, 02:42:41 PM
FWIW, WVDOH has long liked useless multiplexes.  Today, WV 39 has a useless multiple with WV 16 for the last 6 miles into Gauley Bridge. Aside from the interchange connector at Moorefield, WV 55 is entirely multiplexed with other routes for its easternmost 211 miles. WV 92 and WV 28 also have 40+ mile multiplexes in the middle of their routes.  It used to be worse - WV 4 was formerly multiplexed with WV 20, US 33, WV 28, and US 50 from Buckhannon into Virginia.

I do agree the routes should be reshuffled.  I'd kill WV 55's multiplexes and move WV 42 onto part of current WV 93 and US 48 between Scherr and Bismarck. I'd either cut back WV 93 to Scherr or Mount Storm Lake. Hopefully DOH will review the issue once the have construction finished into Davis.

Indeed, it was worse. I have seen maps showing WV 4 co-signed with US 60 west of Charleston all the way to at least Huntington, if not the Kentucky state line. And isn't there still some WV 92 signage along WV 7 in Morgantown?

I thought that WV 55 was signed as one long route to denote a single scenic corridor. With the addition of US 48 east from Wardensville to the Virginia state line, there's only one small section of it that is independently signed.
Yeah, WV 4 was multiplexed on the west end along US 60 over to Kentucky, too.  The signage for WV 92 along WV 7 between Reedsville and Morgantown finally came down a couple years ago.  According to some old maps, at point it actually also followed US 19 north to the PA line.

I think you're right on the WV 55 being intended as a scenic corridor since WV 150 (Highland Scenic Highway) was at one point along the part south/west of Elkins.  I've never actually seen it marketed as "follow WV 55 for scenery" or anything like that, though.

Bitmapped

Quote from: dave19 on December 17, 2014, 10:10:43 PM
QuoteI'm not sure why the multiplex would be confusing to anyone. If anything, I think abruptly changing numbers while the corridor is still under construction would be more confusing to people.

It's not the multiplex that is potentially confusing; it's traveling eastbound and seeing a BGS that says WV 93/Bismarck - 2 miles, then continuing less than a mile and seeing signs telling you to turn right to continue onto East 93 but seeing another BGS further down the highway that says WV 93/Bismarck - 1 mile, that's what might cause some confusion.
OK.  It could be a case where they pull the WV thing of removing the shields from the BGS.

Quote from: dave19 on December 17, 2014, 10:10:43 PM
Agreed regarding the 55 and 92 situations. That's a lot of money spent on signs. 55 should be truncated at Craigsville, and that southern piece of 92 could be an extension of either WV 311 or 84.
I've thought a southern extension of WV 28 to replace WV 92 would make sense.  WV 92 didn't exist south of Belington until sometime in the 1960s or 1970s.  WV 28 previously followed what is now WV 92 from Dunmore to Minnehaha Springs, where it ended.  The current WV 28 between Dunmore and WV 39 and WV 92 south of WV 39 were county routes.

hbelkins

Quote from: Bitmapped on December 17, 2014, 11:07:57 PM
I've thought a southern extension of WV 28 to replace WV 92 would make sense.  WV 92 didn't exist south of Belington until sometime in the 1960s or 1970s.  WV 28 previously followed what is now WV 92 from Dunmore to Minnehaha Springs, where it ended.  The current WV 28 between Dunmore and WV 39 and WV 92 south of WV 39 were county routes.

I was going to say, I've seen old maps that show 92 extending down to White Sulphur Springs and WV 28 ending at US 250.


Government would be tolerable if not for politicians and bureaucrats.

Bitmapped

Quote from: hbelkins on December 18, 2014, 08:21:00 PM
Quote from: Bitmapped on December 17, 2014, 11:07:57 PM
I've thought a southern extension of WV 28 to replace WV 92 would make sense.  WV 92 didn't exist south of Belington until sometime in the 1960s or 1970s.  WV 28 previously followed what is now WV 92 from Dunmore to Minnehaha Springs, where it ended.  The current WV 28 between Dunmore and WV 39 and WV 92 south of WV 39 were county routes.

I was going to say, I've seen old maps that show 92 extending down to White Sulphur Springs and WV 28 ending at US 250.

I wonder if there was some intermediate period then where they truncated WV 28 and the re-extended it back down.  Southern WV 92 did not exist on the 1961 map, but it's there by the mid-1970s ones.

froggie

If you go back far enough (the mid-30s), what is now 28 south of Petersburg to Dunmore then 92 via Frost to Minnehaha Springs was originally part of WV 42.  This was changed to WV 28, with WV 42 truncated to Petersburg, no later than 1938.

As Dave notes, the first map that shows WV 92 to the south is the 1970 map.  It is not shown on the 1968-69 map, so it can be surmised that WV 92 was extended ca. 1969.  Furthermore, for the first several years, WV 28/WV 92 were concurrent all the way to WV 39/Minnehaha Springs.  WV 28 wasn't given its current routing south of Dunmore until between 1976 and 1978.

On a related note, the maps show that what is now WV 28 south of Dunmore to WV 39 was paved by 1957.

cpzilliacus

Corridor H complete?  According to Google Maps it is!  ;-)

Davis to Kerens, though it insists on routing via U.S. 219.  :-(
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.

cpzilliacus

WVMetroNews.com: Big projects planned for state highways in 2015

[Emphasis added]

QuoteThe West Virginia Department of Transportation hopes to move forward on a number of highway projects in West Virginia during 2015.

QuoteState Transportation Secretary Paul Mattox recently told MetroNews the calendar this year includes advancements on several major projects already underway.

Quote"We've got West Virginia 10 down in Logan County. We have let all the mainline contracts and look forward to letting the contract on the paving this year,"  said Mattox. "We also continue work on Corridor H. We hope 2015 will see us complete Corridor H almost to the town of Davis."

QuoteThe next target for Corridor H will be the section from Parsons to Kerens. Mattox was optimistic that could be launched this year as well.
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.

CVski

Update available at http://www.wvcorridorh.com/route/map4.html.  Mostly what we already knew.

machpost


hbelkins

Quote from: machpost on May 28, 2015, 09:55:10 AM
Around four miles of new highway, from Bismarck to the Grant-Tucker line, are opening today: http://www.wchstv.com/news/features/eyewitness-news/stories/WV-Officials-To-Celebrate-Corridor-H-Highway-Opening-141531.shtml#.VWcduEYqqPW

Cool. More new US 48 to drive when I go to Maryland in September. Will anything else be opened between now and then?


Government would be tolerable if not for politicians and bureaucrats.

machpost

Quote from: hbelkins on May 28, 2015, 04:36:00 PM
Quote from: machpost on May 28, 2015, 09:55:10 AM
Around four miles of new highway, from Bismarck to the Grant-Tucker line, are opening today: http://www.wchstv.com/news/features/eyewitness-news/stories/WV-Officials-To-Celebrate-Corridor-H-Highway-Opening-141531.shtml#.VWcduEYqqPW

Cool. More new US 48 to drive when I go to Maryland in September. Will anything else be opened between now and then?

The last I heard, it should be complete to Davis by sometime this fall. Probably more like November than September, if I had to guess.

cl94

Pictures of the ribbon cutting are on the WVDOT Facebook page
Please note: All posts represent my personal opinions and do not represent those of my employer or any of its partner agencies.

Travel Mapping (updated weekly)

cpzilliacus

Quote from: hbelkins on May 28, 2015, 04:36:00 PM
Quote from: machpost on May 28, 2015, 09:55:10 AM
Around four miles of new highway, from Bismarck to the Grant-Tucker line, are opening today: http://www.wchstv.com/news/features/eyewitness-news/stories/WV-Officials-To-Celebrate-Corridor-H-Highway-Opening-141531.shtml#.VWcduEYqqPW

Cool. More new US 48 to drive when I go to Maryland in September. Will anything else be opened between now and then?

Not sure any more will be "officially" open - but - a lot of Corridor H between Bismarck and Davis is open to traffic as a two-lane highway (the eastbound lanes).  Along this stretch, much of the pavement that made up W.Va. 93 has been entirely removed -  to some extent the westbound lanes will cross old the W.Va. 93 roadbed.
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.



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