Corridor H

[seicer]

It's extremely scenic, namely because it rides the ridges and dives into the valleys. It also does not have vegetation build up on the right-of-way yet, so enjoy the views while you can!

[cpzilliacus]

I enjoy driving on 4-lane expressways that are built to near "Interstate standards."  Examples are US 35 in OH and WV, US 30 in northern OH, and Corridor D (OH 32/US 50) from Cincinnati to Clarksburg, WV.  I haven't had an opportunity to drive on the "Fort-to-Port" section of US 24 yet nor have I had an opportunity to drive Corridor H.  From looking at photos and messing with Google Maps, this looks to also be an enjoyable road to drive.

Concur with Sherman.  This is a pleasant and scenic ride.  IMO it manages to beat-out Skyline Drive and the Blue Ridge Parkway in that those stay for the most part on or near the ridgecrest, but Corridor H goes through them, and also climbs the Allegheny Front in a very elegant way (especially when compared to the twists and turns of W.Va. 93/W.Va. 42 (Union Highway)).

[amroad17]

I will have to drive this whenever I can find the time.  Thanks!

[CanesFan27]

I've moved the old gn.com Corridor H in Virginia (or the lack there of it) site page to the blog and updated a small amount of information.

I will be bringing over the old WV Corridor H site to the blog and include more up to date information in the coming weeks.

http://surewhynotnow.blogspot.com/2017/01/us-48-corridor-h-in-virginia.html

[cpzilliacus]

Well, early fall - indeed, all of fall - has come and gone. Still no US 48 signs posted beyond Davis. Maybe early spring?.....

Maybe you should direct that question to Delegate Howell?

Or ask someone at WVDOT?  Contacts here.

[SP Cook]

I finally drove the new section (along with some roads in the eastern panhandle where I had not been in a few years) to regain my being able to say I have driven every 4 lane in the state, as a part of attending the Inaugriation of our President and mini-vacation and road trip. 

The signage is a big fail.  (Since I was going west last I will cover it that way, but it is the same issue either way).  Virginia signs it exit as "US 48" but also simply as "Strasburg", for which there are several exits since you are then in Strasburg.  A control city, either Wardensville or Moorefiled would be helpful.   Then as the newly completed section ends, it is just signed as "END 48" and then after a mile or so, you just come ot a junction with a north-south choice for which the correct choice is not obvious.  Then after a couple of miles, you again have a north-south choice with the correct choice not obvious (and the two are opposite of one another, the first is north, the second south), with the sign reading "Oakland, MD" which is not helpful. 

That whole part could easily be fixed with a couple of 48 signs and a couple of "Elkins" signs.  The best thing to do would be to sign the completed western part of H as US 48 (the exit sign from 79 has 48, but there is no signage other than that, and then sign the middle as "TEMP 48".

[cpzilliacus]

The signage is a big fail.  (Since I was going west last I will cover it that way, but it is the same issue either way).  Virginia signs it exit as "US 48" but also simply as "Strasburg", for which there are several exits since you are then in Strasburg.  A control city, either Wardensville or Moorefiled would be helpful.   Then as the newly completed section ends, it is just signed as "END 48" and then after a mile or so, you just come ot a junction with a north-south choice for which the correct choice is not obvious.  Then after a couple of miles, you again have a north-south choice with the correct choice not obvious (and the two are opposite of one another, the first is north, the second south), with the sign reading "Oakland, MD" which is not helpful.

Supposedly, WVDOT/DOH was going to have U.S. 48 signs up all the way from the current end of the eastern section of Corridor H (at WVA-32 between Thomas and Davis) all the way to Weston by now (presumably following WVA-32 northbound to U.S. 219 in Thomas, then following U.S. 219 southbound through Parsons to Kerens where the western part of Corridor H currently picks-up). At least that was the message from them and a member of the W.Va. legislature (see messages upthread for details).

That whole part could easily be fixed with a couple of 48 signs and a couple of "Elkins" signs.  The best thing to do would be to sign the completed western part of H as US 48 (the exit sign from 79 has 48, but there is no signage other than that, and then sign the middle as "TEMP 48".

Agreed.

Supposedly the plan by DOH was to sign all of it as U.S. 48, and have it done by the end of calendar year 2016.

[hbelkins]

That whole part could easily be fixed with a couple of 48 signs and a couple of "Elkins" signs.  The best thing to do would be to sign the completed western part of H as US 48 (the exit sign from 79 has 48, but there is no signage other than that, and then sign the middle as "TEMP 48".

That's definitely new from the last time I was there (last May).

If you drove a direct route back, since you indicated you traveled west and you made reference to the Strasburg exit, how would you rate Corridor H as a route from the mid-Ohio Valley (Louisville-Lexington-Huntington-Charleston) to DC, when compared to I-68? It already seems I-68 is the preferred route over I-64 to I-81 to I-66, but would I-68 or US 48 be preferable?

Supposedly, WVDOT/DOH was going to have U.S. 48 signs up all the way from the current end of the eastern section of Corridor H (at WVA-32 between Thomas and Davis) all the way to Weston by now (presumably following WVA-32 northbound to U.S. 219 in Thomas, then following U.S. 219 southbound through Parsons to Kerens where the western part of Corridor H currently picks-up). At least that was the message from them and a member of the W.Va. legislature (see messages upthread for details).

That whole part could easily be fixed with a couple of 48 signs and a couple of "Elkins" signs.  The best thing to do would be to sign the completed western part of H as US 48 (the exit sign from 79 has 48, but there is no signage other than that, and then sign the middle as "TEMP 48".

Agreed.

Supposedly the plan by DOH was to sign all of it as U.S. 48, and have it done by the end of calendar year 2016.

That's what I thought as well.

[SP Cook]

If you drove a direct route back, since you indicated you traveled west and you made reference to the Strasburg exit, how would you rate Corridor H as a route from the mid-Ohio Valley (Louisville-Lexington-Huntington-Charleston) to DC, when compared to I-68? It already seems I-68 is the preferred route over I-64 to I-81 to I-66, but would I-68 or US 48 be preferable?

IMHO, I am a very good mountain driver.  Not everybody is.  So, yeah, H would be my prefered way to go to DC with Charleston (or any of the cities you list or even some others, such as even some places in Tennessee via Corridor G, because 81 is just so F***ing over capacity with trucks unable to maintain 70 on the terrain and unwilling to keep right).  79-48-66.  Right now.  When finished, assuming the state does make the same mistake it made with L (underposted SLs, stop lights, speed trap hick towns) it would certainly be. 

IMFHO, I prefer 64-81-66 to Washington over 79-68-70-270.  The mileage is about the same, but the first way (albeit it 81's issues) is just more enjoyable.  Further, if you are going to drive right into the tourist/government part of DC, 66 heads right there, while 270 just ends at the beltway and makes you either take surface streets or drive on the beltway for some time without getting any closer to where you want to be.    Or if you do what I often do, which is park at the end of the Metro and ride that, then I find the Orange Line preferable to the Red Line.  There also is the opertunity to stop at Arlington Cemetary, which generally has parking and use the Blue Line from there, especially is that is one of the tourist stops you want to see anyway.  JMO.

[hbelkins]

IMHO, I am a very good mountain driver.  Not everybody is.  So, yeah, H would be my prefered way to go to DC with Charleston (or any of the cities you list or even some others, such as even some places in Tennessee via Corridor G, because 81 is just so F***ing over capacity with trucks unable to maintain 70 on the terrain and unwilling to keep right).  79-48-66.  Right now.  When finished, assuming the state does make the same mistake it made with L (underposted SLs, stop lights, speed trap hick towns) it would certainly be. 

IMFHO, I prefer 64-81-66 to Washington over 79-68-70-270.  The mileage is about the same, but the first way (albeit it 81's issues) is just more enjoyable.  Further, if you are going to drive right into the tourist/government part of DC, 66 heads right there, while 270 just ends at the beltway and makes you either take surface streets or drive on the beltway for some time without getting any closer to where you want to be.    Or if you do what I often do, which is park at the end of the Metro and ride that, then I find the Orange Line preferable to the Red Line.  There also is the opertunity to stop at Arlington Cemetary, which generally has parking and use the Blue Line from there, especially is that is one of the tourist stops you want to see anyway.  JMO.

First time I drove directly to DC, I took 79-68-70-270. (This was before I started doing a whole lot of traveling) It was in January so I ran into weather issues in western Maryland. My destination was the Renaissance Hotel so I used a short segment of the Beltway and the GW Parkway to the Key Bridge, then the Whitehurst to K Street, which took me straight to where I needed to be. I've told the story before, but since it was pretty much new territory for me at the time, I had planned to take 66-81-64 home but snow chased me off the interstate. I trusted my own mountain driving across what existed of Corridor H at the time, filling in the gaps with WV 55-US 220-WV 42-WV 93-US 219, instead of trucks driving too fast for weather conditions on I-81.

As it is, right now, I have no issues with using H as a through route across the heart of the Appalachians. US 219 between Elkins and Davis is a better route than a lot of the mountain roads around here.

I also think 64-79-H would be a better route from St. Louis than I-70. 64 only goes through the middle of two cities (Louisville and Charleston) while 70 has to deal with two bigger cities (Indy and Columbus) and Breezewood.

Unless the east side of Weston or Buckhannon grow by leaps and bounds, I don't foresee a traffic light-clogged route ever developing.

[cpzilliacus]

First time I drove directly to DC, I took 79-68-70-270. (This was before I started doing a whole lot of traveling) It was in January so I ran into weather issues in western Maryland. My destination was the Renaissance Hotel so I used a short segment of the Beltway and the GW Parkway to the Key Bridge, then the Whitehurst to K Street, which took me straight to where I needed to be. I've told the story before, but since it was pretty much new territory for me at the time, I had planned to take 66-81-64 home but snow chased me off the interstate. I trusted my own mountain driving across what existed of Corridor H at the time, filling in the gaps with WV 55-US 220-WV 42-WV 93-US 219, instead of trucks driving too fast for weather conditions on I-81.

First time I drove Corridor H, there was no eastern part of the road.  So I took VA-55 (and WV-55, now largely signed as "Old WV-55," as DOH likes to do, between Wardensville and Moorefield - a twisting and narrow road) from I-81 at Strasburg, Va. to Moorefield; then U.S. 220/WV-55 to Petersburg, then WV-42 (and WV-42/WV-93 up the mountain); then WV-93 to WV-32 between Thomas and  Davis; then north on 32 to U.S. 219; then U.S. 219 south past Parsons and to Elkins; then WV-92 (and U.S. 33 and U.S. 250) to the west edge of Elkins, where western Corridor H terminated for many years.

As it is, right now, I have no issues with using H as a through route across the heart of the Appalachians. US 219 between Elkins and Davis is a better route than a lot of the mountain roads around here.

U.S. 219 will get even better when Corridor H is done between Kerens and a point between Pheasant Mountain and the charcoal plant is open, though I am not especially a fan of 219 between Parsons and Thomas.

I also think 64-79-H would be a better route from St. Louis than I-70. 64 only goes through the middle of two cities (Louisville and Charleston) while 70 has to deal with two bigger cities (Indy and Columbus) and Breezewood.

Unless the east side of Weston or Buckhannon grow by leaps and bounds, I don't foresee a traffic light-clogged route ever developing.

The route you mention above also has a nice added feature - no tolls, unlike the Pennsylvania and West Virginia Turnpikes.

Though  I would like to see those signals between I-79 and Elkins go away.  Especially where there have been more than a few bad crashes - at the point where U.S. 250 and WV-92 turn north between Elkins and Buckhannon. 

And Virginia and West Virginia need to complete Corridor H  between Strasburg and Wardensville.

[hbelkins]

There are two signals at Weston. One for the shopping center/hotel access, and one for Berlin Road (entrance to Sheetz/Walmart/Quality Inn). I don't think those two are problematic, since they are near the end of the corridor. There's one on the west side of Buckhannon that puzzles me, as it doesn't seem to be a particularly busy intersection. Then there is the one CPZ mentions above, at the US 250/WV 92 intersection at Norton. It sorta comes upon you out of nowhere. I'm a bit surprised there isn't one where WV 92 (old US 33) departs the corridor. From that point on, I'd expect no new lights to pop up on the existing or  yet-to-be-built sections of H.

[SP Cook]

I hope you are right, but I remember when Corridor L and Corridor G opened with similar situations.  One inattentative driver and the "something must be done" crowd slaps up yet another stop light, ignoring the fundamental goal of the ARC Corridor system.    Yeah, if you want to pull onto a high speed expressway from some minor side road, you might need to wait a bit or you might need to go in the wrong direction for a bit and make a legal U-Turn.

[AlexandriaVA]

Sounds like a real boondoogle ("freeways" with stoplights).

[seicer]

It's just poor planning, partly by WVDOH and by the counties - which often have no planning departments in general.

Look at Corridor G at Logan. There is an interchange with WV 73 just south of one traffic light on a long and steep grade - which is absolutely the worst location to ever install a traffic signal, let alone on a freeway. Why didn't WVDOH nix the entry onto Corridor G and simply provide access on WV 73 via the interchange?

Much like Corridor H at Buckhannon, the traffic signal serves some commercial development that could have been situated closer to town off of an interchange.

I was worried, too, about Corridor H at Moorefield. The exit for WV 55 includes a stub for a roadway north towards Harness Road. The route was graded but never paved because of an impact to the historic farm on the north side of Harness. The road will now be paved to serve an industrial site on the south side of Harness. But look just east of Moorefield - two intersections that are now being developed with commercial ventures that will surely be fitted with traffic signals in the future. Why could this not have been built at the WV 55 interchange?

[cpzilliacus]

There are two signals at Weston. One for the shopping center/hotel access, and one for Berlin Road (entrance to Sheetz/Walmart/Quality Inn). I don't think those two are problematic, since they are near the end of the corridor. There's one on the west side of Buckhannon that puzzles me, as it doesn't seem to be a particularly busy intersection. Then there is the one CPZ mentions above, at the US 250/WV 92 intersection at Norton. It sorta comes upon you out of nowhere. I'm a bit surprised there isn't one where WV 92 (old US 33) departs the corridor. From that point on, I'd expect no new lights to pop up on the existing or  yet-to-be-built sections of H.

Two two that you describe at the far west end of Corridor H approaching I-79 are not so terrible, including the one at Sheetz (though access to the Sheetz at Weston on Corridor H might be as clumsy as any Sheetz I have ever patronized).   But I think drivers are "expecting" to slow because of the businesses on both sides of the road.

I hope you are right, but I remember when Corridor L and Corridor G opened with similar situations.  One inattentative driver and the "something must be done" crowd slaps up yet another stop light, ignoring the fundamental goal of the ARC Corridor system.    Yeah, if you want to pull onto a high speed expressway from some minor side road, you might need to wait a bit or you might need to go in the wrong direction for a bit and make a legal U-Turn.

In the context of ADHS Corridor H, "something must be done" should be grade-separated interchanges at a place like the Corridor H junction with U.S. 250/WV-92 at Norton west of Elkins.  H.B. is correct that this one (IMO because it is "in the middle of nowhere") does indeed "pop-up" at drivers.  Now in defense of WVDOT, this is an older part of Corridor H, and there are no signalized intersections on the more-modern eastern Corridor H, and I agree with H.B. - I do not believe there are plans for any signalized intersections at-grade for the un-built parts of Corridor H.

If there are no dollars for an interchange, then I agree with S.P. that people should make a right and then a "U" Turn. Expanding on that, DOH should consider what Maryland SHA has done on U.S. 301 on the Upper Eastern Shore - block the median crossings and require all turns to be right turns, leading to a "U" turn which substitutes for the left turns. The nearly pancake-flat flat terrain on 301 on the Upper Shore is nothing like the ADHS corridors, but the amount of traffic (and speeds) on a four lane divided highway are similar to West Virginia's corridors.

[cpzilliacus]

It's just poor planning, partly by WVDOH and by the counties - which often have no planning departments in general.

Do those counties need planning?  I get the feeling that some people move to West Virginia to avoid planning.

Look at Corridor G at Logan. There is an interchange with WV 73 just south of one traffic light on a long and steep grade - which is absolutely the worst location to ever install a traffic signal, let alone on a freeway. Why didn't WVDOH nix the entry onto Corridor G and simply provide access on WV 73 via the interchange?

I have been there, and yes, that's on a grade, but the traffic on Corridor G does not seem to be that heavy, though I suppose that Wal-Mart could have been required to fund an interchange there (not sure if that sort of thing is done in West Virginia - it is somewhat common in Maryland and Virginia).

Much like Corridor H at Buckhannon, the traffic signal serves some commercial development that could have been situated closer to town off of an interchange.

Look, business owners want to be at places where the costs for land are low and access to the highway network is good.  Would Upshur County planners (if there are any) try to disrupt that or force changes?  I cannot say.

I was worried, too, about Corridor H at Moorefield. The exit for WV 55 includes a stub for a roadway north towards Harness Road. The route was graded but never paved because of an impact to the historic farm on the north side of Harness. The road will now be paved to serve an industrial site on the south side of Harness. But look just east of Moorefield - two intersections that are now being developed with commercial ventures that will surely be fitted with traffic signals in the future. Why could this not have been built at the WV 55 interchange?

I suspect that the FHWA division might step in and veto access to Corridor H unless interchanges are built there. That's on a pretty  steep grade (descending from east to west), and signals there would not be good.

[cpzilliacus]

Sounds like a real boondoogle ("freeways" with stoplights).

Corridor H (in spite of the signs that WVDOT/DOH likes to put up) is not a freeway- or motorway-class road.  It is what planners and engineers would call an expressway, as are most ADHS Corridors in West Virginia.

VDOT used to mark roads like Corridor H on its official state highway maps as roads with "partial access control" (not sure if they still do that or not).

[SP Cook]

Look at Corridor G at Logan. There is an interchange with WV 73 just south of one traffic light on a long and steep grade - which is absolutely the worst location to ever install a traffic signal, let alone on a freeway. Why didn't WVDOH nix the entry onto Corridor G and simply provide access on WV 73 via the interchange?

Much like Corridor H at Buckhannon, the traffic signal serves some commercial development that could have been situated closer to town off of an interchange.

Politics.   When G was finished in that area, there was nothing there, it was the middle of nowhere.  The area you are talking about was a mountain.  Director of the local hospital stole millions from the feds and used it to remove the mountain and then had the DOH make him a median cut and a stop light for a left turn across traffic, despite being just a few feet from an actual exit ramp and on a downhill grade.  He went to the slam, got out and was appointed to the just ex gov's (from Logan) cabinet.   

[cpzilliacus]

Politics.   When G was finished in that area, there was nothing there, it was the middle of nowhere.  The area you are talking about was a mountain.  Director of the local hospital stole millions from the feds and used it to remove the mountain and then had the DOH make him a median cut and a stop light for a left turn across traffic, despite being just a few feet from an actual exit ramp and on a downhill grade.  He went to the slam, got out and was appointed to the just ex gov's (from Logan) cabinet.

I do not dispute the politics part at all (not being from  West Virginia, I am not in tune with such things anyway, save (in rare cases) for Berkeley and Jefferson Counties). 

But even so, where in Sam Hill was the FHWA division office?  They could easily have said not just no, but Hades No to an access point on U.S. 119/Corridor G without a grade-separated interchange.

[AlexandriaVA]

https://www.google.com/maps/@37.8583372,-82.0451223,1249m/data=!3m1!1e3

Yeah, that's pretty egregious. Particularly that the surrounding area is totally desolate. Not like there's a compelling commerce reason...what are people going to do...go to the next shopping center over?

[Bitmapped]

There are two signals at Weston. One for the shopping center/hotel access, and one for Berlin Road (entrance to Sheetz/Walmart/Quality Inn). I don't think those two are problematic, since they are near the end of the corridor. There's one on the west side of Buckhannon that puzzles me, as it doesn't seem to be a particularly busy intersection. Then there is the one CPZ mentions above, at the US 250/WV 92 intersection at Norton. It sorta comes upon you out of nowhere. I'm a bit surprised there isn't one where WV 92 (old US 33) departs the corridor. From that point on, I'd expect no new lights to pop up on the existing or  yet-to-be-built sections of H.

There is a signal at the WV 92/Harrison Avenue intersection near Aggregates. It was installed about a year and a half ago. Frankly, I preferred things without the signal as it seemed there was generally less delay that way.

[hbelkins]

There are two signals at Weston. One for the shopping center/hotel access, and one for Berlin Road (entrance to Sheetz/Walmart/Quality Inn). I don't think those two are problematic, since they are near the end of the corridor. There's one on the west side of Buckhannon that puzzles me, as it doesn't seem to be a particularly busy intersection. Then there is the one CPZ mentions above, at the US 250/WV 92 intersection at Norton. It sorta comes upon you out of nowhere. I'm a bit surprised there isn't one where WV 92 (old US 33) departs the corridor. From that point on, I'd expect no new lights to pop up on the existing or  yet-to-be-built sections of H.

There is a signal at the WV 92/Harrison Avenue intersection near Aggregates. It was installed about a year and a half ago. Frankly, I preferred things without the signal as it seemed there was generally less delay that way.

Hmm. I don't remember it when I was there for CPZ's meet last May.

[Bitmapped]

I drove the full eastern section of Corridor H this evening. A couple notes:

The weight limit on the Waites Run bridge on the 2-lane section of US 48/WV 55 just east of Wardensville has been lowered significantly. It was unposted in 2008, and had a silhouette posting in 2012 that allowed for 40-ton semis. It now maxes out at 23 tons for semis so most trucks heading to I-81 will have to take a different route. Construction of a replacement bridge is listed in WVDOH STIP for this fall.

It looks like the asphalt has been removed from most of the old WV 93 roadbed in Grant and Tucker Counties. It looks like a gravel surface was in place in most parts.

I didn't have time to investigate, but I noticed some signs for a bike trail paralleling Corridor H near the Rubenstein Juvenile Center near Davis.

The last two sets of reassurance markers before the end of the 4-lane section are marked "End 48/West 93." Presumably, they'll take off the "End" plate and replace it with a "West" one when US 48 is extended. There's still no signage for US 48 along WV 32.

It'd been about a day and a half since the last snowfall, but DOH had Corridor H including the full shoulders plowed clear and salted. DOH has historically not done a good job with snow removal in this area, so I was pleased to see this. It remains to be seen how well things will be maintained during a snow event. I'd still lean towards using a different route during a snowstorm.

[cpzilliacus]

I drove the full eastern section of Corridor H this evening. A couple notes:

The weight limit on the Waites Run bridge on the 2-lane section of US 48/WV 55 just east of Wardensville has been lowered significantly. It was unposted in 2008, and had a silhouette posting in 2012 that allowed for 40-ton semis. It now maxes out at 23 tons for semis so most trucks heading to I-81 will have to take a different route. Construction of a replacement bridge is listed in WVDOH STIP for this fall.

In a perfect world, Corridor H would get built from its current eastern terminus at least to the crest of North Mountain, and the old bridge left like it is.

It looks like the asphalt has been removed from most of the old WV 93 roadbed in Grant and Tucker Counties. It looks like a gravel surface was in place in most parts.

As Corridor H sections opened between the Mount Storm Generating Station and WV-32, the pavement from old WV-93 has been removed. For the most part with the apparent intent of allowing it to return to a natural state.

I didn't have time to investigate, but I noticed some signs for a bike trail paralleling Corridor H near the Rubenstein Juvenile Center near Davis.

The last two sets of reassurance markers before the end of the 4-lane section are marked "End 48/West 93." Presumably, they'll take off the "End" plate and replace it with a "West" one when US 48 is extended. There's still no signage for US 48 along WV 32.

I have not given up on temporary U.S. 48 signs along the "gap" part of Corridor H between Kerens and Davis.

It'd been about a day and a half since the last snowfall, but DOH had Corridor H including the full shoulders plowed clear and salted. DOH has historically not done a good job with snow removal in this area, so I was pleased to see this. It remains to be seen how well things will be maintained during a snow event. I'd still lean towards using a different route during a snowstorm.

There have been somewhat temporary-looking DOH Maintenance bases built at two places along Corridor H, presumably mostly for winter maintenance.  One west of Forman near Knobley Road (CR 3) here and one between Elkins and Kerens here.