West Virginia Turnpike

[Rothman]

You might want to check your facts.  While the cities of Charleston and Huntington are in decline...

Facts?

Pittsburgh metro: 2.35 million
Cleveland metro: 2.06 million
Columbus metro: 2.16 million
West Virginia: 1.77 million

There is no justification for Huntington-Charleston to be connected by a 6-lane interstate highway. It's a misallocation of resources that probably should have been invested in the eastern panhandle.

The Charleston-Huntington CSA (Combined Statistical Area) has a population of over 600k, and most of that population is within 15 miles of I-64. That alone is enough to justify the 6-lanes throughout the stretch between the two cities. Add thru traffic and that further justifies it.

I've driven that stretch plenty of times myself, and I'd say it's time.

Those metro areas you listed has multiple multi-lane expressways serving them, while that particular part of WV (especially the western side) don't.

Again, comparing to similar areas in MA, no.

Do those similar areas in MA have a similar percentage of long distance trucks slowing things down? On very hilly terrain?

You might want to check your facts.  While the cities of Charleston and Huntington are in decline...

Facts?

Pittsburgh metro: 2.35 million
Cleveland metro: 2.06 million
Columbus metro: 2.16 million
West Virginia: 1.77 million

There is no justification for Huntington-Charleston to be connected by a 6-lane interstate highway. It's a misallocation of resources that probably should have been invested in the eastern panhandle.

The Charleston-Huntington CSA (Combined Statistical Area) has a population of over 600k, and most of that population is within 15 miles of I-64. That alone is enough to justify the 6-lanes throughout the stretch between the two cities. Add thru traffic and that further justifies it.

I've driven that stretch plenty of times myself, and I'd say it's time.

Those metro areas you listed has multiple multi-lane expressways serving them, while that particular part of WV (especially the western side) don't.

Again, comparing to similar areas in MA, no.

Do those similar areas in MA have a similar percentage of long distance trucks slowing things down? On very hilly terrain?

Sure.  The section through the Holyoke Range is a little frustrating, just like I-64 is a little frustrating.

[seicer]

I would argue that many interstates in the Northeast that still remain four lanes should be six lanes based on traffic volumes, level of service, and terrain. The difference is that West Virginia is finally fulfilling its widening aspirations through the Roads to Prosperity bond program. There are a lot of things I can fault Governor Justice over, but taking the gamble on a $2.8 billion program for deferred roadway widening, bridge replacements, and new construction has been a popular move.

I am struggling to find an example of another state that has done that in recent memory.

[ibthebigd]

Indiana selling off the Indiana Turnpike

SM-G996U

[SP Cook]

https://wvmetronews.com/2024/05/21/turnpike-drivers-to-notice-new-tolling-system-upgrades/

[carbaugh2]

Hopefully, WVDOT will have the Turnpike director on the podcast soon for a deeper discussion.

https://wvmetronews.com/2024/06/02/miller-expects-travel-plazas-to-be-done-by-years-end/

[wriddle082]

Has anybody had issues with tolls not being posted to an out of state toll account while driving the WVTP?

Two and a half weeks ago I drove southbound and was charged at the Chelyan and Ghent South toll plazas, but no charge went through for the Pax toll plaza.  I know I didn't run it because I saw the THANK YOU EZPASS TOLL PAID message as I drove through the booth at less than 10 mph, and all of the other charges posted to my NC Quick Pass account the next day, including some tolls for the I-77 Express Lanes north of Charlotte.  But after two weeks, no charge for Pax.

I had to submit all of my other toll charges for an expense report for work last week so I could get reimbursed, so I guess I'm gonna miss out on one of the $4.25 reimbursements because it didn't post.  Though I could try to forge it on the spreadsheet, I'm not going to risk getting in trouble.

[Bitmapped]

Has anybody had issues with tolls not being posted to an out of state toll account while driving the WVTP?

Two and a half weeks ago I drove southbound and was charged at the Chelyan and Ghent South toll plazas, but no charge went through for the Pax toll plaza.  I know I didn't run it because I saw the THANK YOU EZPASS TOLL PAID message as I drove through the booth at less than 10 mph, and all of the other charges posted to my NC Quick Pass account the next day, including some tolls for the I-77 Express Lanes north of Charlotte.  But after two weeks, no charge for Pax.

I had to submit all of my other toll charges for an expense report for work last week so I could get reimbursed, so I guess I'm gonna miss out on one of the $4.25 reimbursements because it didn't post.  Though I could try to forge it on the spreadsheet, I'm not going to risk getting in trouble.

I went through the Ghent and North Beckley toll plazas on Sunday, May 26. They posted to my Virginia E-ZPass account the following day.

[SP Cook]

Hopefully, WVDOT will have the Turnpike director on the podcast soon for a deeper discussion.

https://wvmetronews.com/2024/06/02/miller-expects-travel-plazas-to-be-done-by-years-end/

The rest area rebuilds seem like a waste, IMHO.  The days when Dad turned the Buick Roadmaster into a turnpike Howard Johnson's for a table service meal of real food on real plates with real waitresses, have long since passed.  If you think you can, profitably, reproduce that today, well, there is a reason HoJo went broke. 

The turnpike, further, is only 88 miles long, with plenty of services at Princeton, and yet more in Wytheville; plenty in Beckley (no toll to exit and reenter), and, while you probably should not exit in the immediate downtown of Charleston, plenty of services on both 77 north and yet more on 64 west.

[jmacswimmer]

Has anybody had issues with tolls not being posted to an out of state toll account while driving the WVTP?

Two and a half weeks ago I drove southbound and was charged at the Chelyan and Ghent South toll plazas, but no charge went through for the Pax toll plaza.  I know I didn't run it because I saw the THANK YOU EZPASS TOLL PAID message as I drove through the booth at less than 10 mph, and all of the other charges posted to my NC Quick Pass account the next day, including some tolls for the I-77 Express Lanes north of Charlotte.  But after two weeks, no charge for Pax.

I had to submit all of my other toll charges for an expense report for work last week so I could get reimbursed, so I guess I'm gonna miss out on one of the $4.25 reimbursements because it didn't post.  Though I could try to forge it on the spreadsheet, I'm not going to risk getting in trouble.

Short answer is no, but I did have an overcharge from the WV Turnpike (to my out-of-state MD account) that I'm wondering may or may not be related here:

I drove the full length northbound 2 years ago, took 5 days for the 3 tolls to post and when they did Ghent North & Pax were correct ($4.25) but Chelyan showed up as $6.75, which when I checked their rate chart was the rate for a "motor home with trailer". I think I remember a semi following me thru the E-ZPass lane at Chelyan, so my theory was that some of the semi's axles were mistakenly attributed to me*. I wonder if it was the opposite side for you, and your axles got mistakenly attributed to the car in front of or behind you?

*This also happened to me once in-state at the I-95 JFK Highway toll plaza shortly before it was replaced by the current AET gantry, and that time it was a pickup truck with a trailer in front of me in the same lane so the trailer's axle was almost certainly attributed to me instead of the pickup.

[hbelkins]

Has anybody had issues with tolls not being posted to an out of state toll account while driving the WVTP?

Two and a half weeks ago I drove southbound and was charged at the Chelyan and Ghent South toll plazas, but no charge went through for the Pax toll plaza.  I know I didn't run it because I saw the THANK YOU EZPASS TOLL PAID message as I drove through the booth at less than 10 mph, and all of the other charges posted to my NC Quick Pass account the next day, including some tolls for the I-77 Express Lanes north of Charlotte.  But after two weeks, no charge for Pax.

I had to submit all of my other toll charges for an expense report for work last week so I could get reimbursed, so I guess I'm gonna miss out on one of the $4.25 reimbursements because it didn't post.  Though I could try to forge it on the spreadsheet, I'm not going to risk getting in trouble.

Wait until it does post, and then claim the reimbursement. Of course, if you weren't charged, there's nothing to reimburse.

Alternately, you could contact the Turnpike Authority to question the missing charge. I drove the length of the turnpike back in December, and at each plaza, I got a message saying "Go/Call EZPass." When I did, I found that the battery had died on my transponder and they sent me a new one after I sent my old one back in. There was no attempt to try to bill me by mail for a violation, as happened twice on the Pennsylvania Turnpike some years ago.

[vdeane]

Short answer is no, but I did have an overcharge from the WV Turnpike (to my out-of-state MD account) that I'm wondering may or may not be related here:

I drove the full length northbound 2 years ago, took 5 days for the 3 tolls to post and when they did Ghent North & Pax were correct ($4.25) but Chelyan showed up as $6.75, which when I checked their rate chart was the rate for a "motor home with trailer". I think I remember a semi following me thru the E-ZPass lane at Chelyan, so my theory was that some of the semi's axles were mistakenly attributed to me*. I wonder if it was the opposite side for you, and your axles got mistakenly attributed to the car in front of or behind you?

*This also happened to me once in-state at the I-95 JFK Highway toll plaza shortly before it was replaced by the current AET gantry, and that time it was a pickup truck with a trailer in front of me in the same lane so the trailer's axle was almost certainly attributed to me instead of the pickup.

This is why I don't like to follow vehicles closely (or have anyone tailgating me) when going through tolls.

[wriddle082]

Short answer is no, but I did have an overcharge from the WV Turnpike (to my out-of-state MD account) that I'm wondering may or may not be related here:

I drove the full length northbound 2 years ago, took 5 days for the 3 tolls to post and when they did Ghent North & Pax were correct ($4.25) but Chelyan showed up as $6.75, which when I checked their rate chart was the rate for a "motor home with trailer". I think I remember a semi following me thru the E-ZPass lane at Chelyan, so my theory was that some of the semi's axles were mistakenly attributed to me*. I wonder if it was the opposite side for you, and your axles got mistakenly attributed to the car in front of or behind you?

*This also happened to me once in-state at the I-95 JFK Highway toll plaza shortly before it was replaced by the current AET gantry, and that time it was a pickup truck with a trailer in front of me in the same lane so the trailer's axle was almost certainly attributed to me instead of the pickup.

This is why I don't like to follow vehicles closely (or have anyone tailgating me) when going through tolls.

Ok I'm also going to ensure that I'm no longer tailgating through one of those plazas again.  It's possible I was tailgating through Pax since it was the Thursday before the Friday before Memorial Day, and I was generally in a hurry to get back home.

Wait until it does post, and then claim the reimbursement. Of course, if you weren't charged, there's nothing to reimburse.

Alternately, you could contact the Turnpike Authority to question the missing charge. I drove the length of the turnpike back in December, and at each plaza, I got a message saying "Go/Call EZPass." When I did, I found that the battery had died on my transponder and they sent me a new one after I sent my old one back in. There was no attempt to try to bill me by mail for a violation, as happened twice on the Pennsylvania Turnpike some years ago.

I was under the gun to hurry up and submit the report so no payments to AMEX were missed.  Though the toll charge ultimately went to my personal Quick Pass account, I can still manually create the expense in Concur, upload the receipt (or in this case a breakdown of the toll charges in PDF format created on NCQuickPass.com), and submit it along with my other company AMEX expenses for rental car and fuel, and I'd still get the reimbursement on my next paycheck.  I can only submit one expense report per week.

If that charge does end up eventually going through in the next couple of weeks, I suppose I can get away with piggybacking it to another expense report (with a lengthy comment in the comment box).  Especially since I'm scheduled to travel back up to Northern Ohio for work again next week, so I'll have more toll charges coming in the future anyway.

[jmacswimmer]

Short answer is no, but I did have an overcharge from the WV Turnpike (to my out-of-state MD account) that I'm wondering may or may not be related here:

I drove the full length northbound 2 years ago, took 5 days for the 3 tolls to post and when they did Ghent North & Pax were correct ($4.25) but Chelyan showed up as $6.75, which when I checked their rate chart was the rate for a "motor home with trailer". I think I remember a semi following me thru the E-ZPass lane at Chelyan, so my theory was that some of the semi's axles were mistakenly attributed to me*. I wonder if it was the opposite side for you, and your axles got mistakenly attributed to the car in front of or behind you?

*This also happened to me once in-state at the I-95 JFK Highway toll plaza shortly before it was replaced by the current AET gantry, and that time it was a pickup truck with a trailer in front of me in the same lane so the trailer's axle was almost certainly attributed to me instead of the pickup.

This is why I don't like to follow vehicles closely (or have anyone tailgating me) when going through tolls.

Ok I'm also going to ensure that I'm no longer tailgating through one of those plazas again.  It's possible I was tailgating through Pax since it was the Thursday before the Friday before Memorial Day, and I was generally in a hurry to get back home.

I'm definitely much more mindful now of traffic ahead of & behind me while passing toll points than I was before those 2 incidents happened - the weird thing about the WV Turnpike one is that I'm pretty sure I was more bunched up with traffic at Pax than I was at Chelyan, but who knows *shrug*

I was also nervous it was going to happen at the Ohio Turnpike Eastgate toll plaza last December, when a car was right behind me going thru the E-ZPass lane and I couldn't get away since I had to slowly roll thru waiting for the gate to rise. That toll did end up posting correctly 3 days later, meanwhile the gate didn't rise for that car behind me so who knows what wound up happening there.

[seicer]

No, and I use the NYSTA tags as I don't qualify for the WVTPK discount anymore. It's usually a very quick turnaround. But I noticed some lags with other tolls showing up on my NYSTA account so it made me wonder then if it was an issue with NYSTA. The transactions all did eventually show but it took days.

[hbelkins]

No, and I use the NYSTA tags as I don't qualify for the WVTPK discount anymore.

My understanding is that the only E-ZPass users who qualify for the WV discount are WV Turnpike E-ZPass holders.

[Bitmapped]

No, and I use the NYSTA tags as I don't qualify for the WVTPK discount anymore.

My understanding is that the only E-ZPass users who qualify for the WV discount are WV Turnpike E-ZPass holders.

West Virginia doesn't really have a discount anymore because the only E-ZPass WV offers is for unlimited usage on the West Virginia Turnpike. Everyone else, cash or out-of-state E-ZPass, pays the same $4.25 rate for mainline plazas.

[seicer]

I should clarify, I had a WVTP tag and got the discount. But now that I am not in the range of the Turnpike anymore, I went back to using my NYSTA tags.

[SP Cook]

https://transportation.wv.gov/communications/PressRelease/Pages/Bluestone_and_Beckley_travel_plazas_to_close_for_completion_of_construction.aspx

Two of the three service areas will close until the rebuilding is complete.  Bluestone, the southern most one, accessible northbound, closed yesterday.  Beckley, accessible in all directions, will close August 1.  Both have only been selling providing Diesel and trucker services for some time.  (Tamarack, WV's greatest taxwaste, is not involved in this project, and does have restrooms and food). 

It is really NBD in that there are plenty of private sector services along the road, plus plenty of service before or after the road, no matter what direction you are traveling.

The big exception is overnight trucker parking.  The Beckley area is often quite full of truckers overnight, as are other places along that general route, finding overnight parking will be a chore until they get this done.

[wriddle082]

Last time I was through there about a month ago, early on a Friday afternoon, the WV 3 Harper Road exit was a sh|tshow when I tried to pick up some lunch.  Poorly timed traffic signals and not enough lanes.  I'm sure it was partially due to the Beckley service plaza closure, but that area could probably stand to see some improvements anyway.  At least the three lanes in each direction on the turnpike itself seem to be providing the intended relief, though I'm not a fan of how the northbound left lane drops when the right lane should be exit only to the Exit 48 US 19 Spur (what is the official designation for that connector?).

[hbelkins]

Last time I was through there about a month ago, early on a Friday afternoon, the WV 3 Harper Road exit was a sh|tshow when I tried to pick up some lunch.  Poorly timed traffic signals and not enough lanes.  I'm sure it was partially due to the Beckley service plaza closure, but that area could probably stand to see some improvements anyway.  At least the three lanes in each direction on the turnpike itself seem to be providing the intended relief, though I'm not a fan of how the northbound left lane drops when the right lane should be exit only to the Exit 48 US 19 Spur (what is the official designation for that connector?).

Spur US 19.

Harper Road is always a mess. I've overnighted there several times and it's always been a cluster foxtrot.

[PColumbus73]

Last time I was through there about a month ago, early on a Friday afternoon, the WV 3 Harper Road exit was a sh|tshow when I tried to pick up some lunch.  Poorly timed traffic signals and not enough lanes.  I'm sure it was partially due to the Beckley service plaza closure, but that area could probably stand to see some improvements anyway.  At least the three lanes in each direction on the turnpike itself seem to be providing the intended relief, though I'm not a fan of how the northbound left lane drops when the right lane should be exit only to the Exit 48 US 19 Spur (what is the official designation for that connector?).

On my trips to Ohio, I stop in Wytheville which carries me all the way through West Virginia. Gas is more expensive in WV, so I don't bother stopping unless I need to.

[Mapmikey]

Exit 48 US 19 Spur (what is the official designation for that connector?)

It is US 19 ALT

[hbelkins]

Exit 48 US 19 Spur (what is the official designation for that connector?)

It is US 19 ALT

That's a change. It used to be Spur instead of Alt.

[Mapmikey]

Exit 48 US 19 Spur (what is the official designation for that connector?)

It is US 19 ALT

That's a change. It used to be Spur instead of Alt.

That's from the 1982 Raleigh County map...2023 map shows the same

[carbaugh2]

Hopefully, WVDOT will have the Turnpike director on the podcast soon for a deeper discussion.

https://wvmetronews.com/2024/06/02/miller-expects-travel-plazas-to-be-done-by-years-end/

They did.

https://soundcloud.com/user-516204358-175198100/wv-on-the-dot-202-jeff-miller-west-virginia-turnpike-update?utm_source=clipboard&utm_campaign=wtshare&utm_medium=widget&utm_content=https%253A%252F%252Fsoundcloud.com%252Fuser-516204358-175198100%252Fwv-on-the-dot-202-jeff-miller-west-virginia-turnpike-update