West Virginia Turnpike

[SP Cook]

The new Beckley travel plaza is open.  I dropped by to check it out.  Pretty unremarkable, as such things go.  Typical single room food court type deal, Wendy's, Popeye's, Starbucks.  Prices are not totally unreasonable.  The store sells typical tourist items like shirts and hats, and "we forgot" stuff like charger cords, diapers, neck pillows, along with some typical c-store fare like chips and soda and candy.  Prices are high, but no higher than any private outfit would charge in a highway facing store for such things.  All outlets had self-checkouts, with only one actual human worker, which is a sign of the times.

There is a small store of Scamarack items at one end of the store.

Restrooms will not be confused for Buc-eees.  Already dirty and already grafitied.

Fuel center was only about 10c over the standard regional price, but, oddly they seemed to have put the old pumps in storage and reinstalled them, they were clearly used and their inspection stickers expired two years ago. 

They had the truck part open, but it looked like they still have some work to do to finish it.

[seicer]

Are there showers in the new service area? That was the one thing I loved about the old plaza - it made it super convenient to spend the day at the Gorge, shower, and then go find a place to camp (overland). It was especially convenient for overlanders and RVers.

[SP Cook]

There are showers, but I think that is in the yet unfinished trucker part of the place.

It looks like maybe a month or so to get that totally finished.

[Black-Man]

Going back to electronic toll collections, for September, the take rate is 59.1%, an increase of 1.9% from the prior year. Or 66.6% of total toll revenue, a rise of 2.2% from the preceding year. The revenue is increasing more than the overall take if you review older data from the WVPA, which may indicate that commercial trucks are increasingly using EZ-Pass. This would mirror trends with other major toll roads.

I had some time to kill and stopped by the Parkways office and had a chat as I had a number of failed EZPass reads on my transponder. I suggest everyone to check their account on the Parkway's website. You may get a surprise (or in my case, 8 surprises).

What I was told, was that the North Beckley exit work on cashless toll is more of a feasibility project and depending on how it plays out will determine what toll barrier will be next. The system they recently installed can handle cashless tolls at any/all barriers and the plan is to head in that direction. I asked about Cheylan and he smiled and said "that obviously will be the last to be implemented". Cheylan is obviously a problem. I travel this road a LOT and Friday afternoon during the summer, it's a no-go southbound. With the construction on the bridge at the bottom of the hill, it's even worse.

[Bitmapped]

Going back to electronic toll collections, for September, the take rate is 59.1%, an increase of 1.9% from the prior year. Or 66.6% of total toll revenue, a rise of 2.2% from the preceding year. The revenue is increasing more than the overall take if you review older data from the WVPA, which may indicate that commercial trucks are increasingly using EZ-Pass. This would mirror trends with other major toll roads.

I had some time to kill and stopped by the Parkways office and had a chat as I had a number of failed EZPass reads on my transponder. I suggest everyone to check their account on the Parkway's website. You may get a surprise (or in my case, 8 surprises).

What I was told, was that the North Beckley exit work on cashless toll is more of a feasibility project and depending on how it plays out will determine what toll barrier will be next. The system they recently installed can handle cashless tolls at any/all barriers and the plan is to head in that direction. I asked about Cheylan and he smiled and said "that obviously will be the last to be implemented". Cheylan is obviously a problem. I travel this road a LOT and Friday afternoon during the summer, it's a no-go southbound. With the construction on the bridge at the bottom of the hill, it's even worse.

The traffic counts are actually pretty similar between the three mainline barriers - all around 26,000 AADT. While Ghent gets more through traffic, Chelyan and Pax get commuter traffic between Charleston and Beckley. The number of lanes is not consistent between the barriers, with 10 at Chelyan, 9 at Pax, and 12 at Ghent. That would suggest Pax should probably be the first to be converted to maximize capacity.

[vdeane]

Going back to electronic toll collections, for September, the take rate is 59.1%, an increase of 1.9% from the prior year. Or 66.6% of total toll revenue, a rise of 2.2% from the preceding year. The revenue is increasing more than the overall take if you review older data from the WVPA, which may indicate that commercial trucks are increasingly using EZ-Pass. This would mirror trends with other major toll roads.

I had some time to kill and stopped by the Parkways office and had a chat as I had a number of failed EZPass reads on my transponder. I suggest everyone to check their account on the Parkway's website. You may get a surprise (or in my case, 8 surprises).

What I was told, was that the North Beckley exit work on cashless toll is more of a feasibility project and depending on how it plays out will determine what toll barrier will be next. The system they recently installed can handle cashless tolls at any/all barriers and the plan is to head in that direction. I asked about Cheylan and he smiled and said "that obviously will be the last to be implemented". Cheylan is obviously a problem. I travel this road a LOT and Friday afternoon during the summer, it's a no-go southbound. With the construction on the bridge at the bottom of the hill, it's even worse.

The traffic counts are actually pretty similar between the three mainline barriers - all around 26,000 AADT. While Ghent gets more through traffic, Chelyan and Pax get commuter traffic between Charleston and Beckley. The number of lanes is not consistent between the barriers, with 10 at Chelyan, 9 at Pax, and 12 at Ghent. That would suggest Pax should probably be the first to be converted to maximize capacity.

I would think Pax and Cheylan would be good to do next if Beckley goes well, given the commuter traffic and capacity issues.  I'm not sure why Cheylan would be "obviously last", given that things like space aren't a concern (just put up gantries nearby and then demolish the toll booths, not hard); if anything, the capacity and lack of commuters at Ghent would suggest that IT should be the last to switch.

[Dirt Roads]

I would think Pax and Cheylan would be good to do next if Beckley goes well, given the commuter traffic and capacity issues.  I'm not sure why Cheylan would be "obviously last", given that things like space aren't a concern (just put up gantries nearby and then demolish the toll booths, not hard); if anything, the capacity and lack of commuters at Ghent would suggest that IT should be the last to switch.

Certainly.  They didn't have any problem with removal of the original end line tollgates when the West Virginia Turnpike eliminated the toll tickets in 1989.  I remember driving straight through the old mainline tollbooths at Princeton for a short time after the new mainline tollbooth opened at Ghent.  It didn't take long before they were removed and everything converted to a freeway.  Today, it's hard to tell where it originally was located (except they still give you a gentle reminder).

[seicer]

What did the recent upgrade of the technology at the barriers provide? Just the capability to read EZ-Pass transponders in each lane at higher speeds (although the signed speed limit is the same given the width of the lanes and people around)? And modernizing the technology as that was about a decade+ old at that point?

I am unsurprised that the North Beckley Plaza is the pilot for a potential all-electronic collection system. While most of my travels have been smooth, I've been stuck in some horrendous summer backups at the plazas.

[Dirt Roads]

What did the recent upgrade of the technology at the barriers provide?

The West Virginia Turnpike was upgraded in November 2024 for "Toll by Plate" (ergo, license plate readers).

[ARMOURERERIC]

When I stopped at the mainline barrier south of Beckley, I inquired about the toll amount at exit 48.  The toll taker told me 75 cents cash only.  When I got to the exit, it was all ez pass or pay by plate.  I still can't find on their own website where to pay.

[MASTERNC]

When I stopped at the mainline barrier south of Beckley, I inquired about the toll amount at exit 48.  The toll taker told me 75 cents cash only.  When I got to the exit, it was all ez pass or pay by plate.  I still can't find on their own website where to pay.

They don't make it easy to find but I think this is where you go ("Pay Unpaid Cash Toll")

https://www.ezpasswv.com/pay-tolls

[wriddle082]

Service Plaza update:

Bluestone is now open.

Morton is now closed, and demolition seems to be just starting.

Wish there was a way to allow southbound access to Morton, but I don't think there's room for the curves required for the bridges, much less enough room to double the parking.  I don't think there are any gas stations heading southbound from Chelyan all the way to Mossy (25 miles).  Mahan looks like they only have the remains of an old Sunoco, and Sharon and Standard both have no services.

[thenetwork]

According to this article:

https://fox8.com/news/mudslide-along-west-virginia-highway-strands-thousands-for-more-than-8-hours/

The West Virginia Turnpike didn't take a mudslide too seriously yesterday and hundreds of vehicles were trapped.

[hbelkins]

According to this article:

https://fox8.com/news/mudslide-along-west-virginia-highway-strands-thousands-for-more-than-8-hours/

The West Virginia Turnpike didn't take a mudslide too seriously yesterday and hundreds of vehicles were trapped.

Why didn't they open those gates they put in the jersey barrier after a snowstorm stranded a bunch of people a few years ago and turn traffic around?

[seicer]

I was curious, too.

To note about the mudslide: a meteorologist provided a graphic that showed the intense rainfall that happened in a very localized area. Over 6" of rain fell along the Turnpike in a very short period. No roadway system is designed to handle that much water at once. There were reports of the roadway flooding before the mudslide that clogged the storm drain, leading to even more flooding.

But WVTP should have opened the barriers within the hour. Instead, we got images of people once again sleeping in their cars because the Turnpike was shut down. There are no good alternative routes - US 60 is not suitable for commercial vehicles, and the last time this was used as an unofficial detour, trucks were jackknifing on the curves and RVs getting stuck on the steep grades.

[SP Cook]

All the reports say only the northbound lane was blocked, so it would have been dangerous to use the turn lanes, unless they closed the road southbound and took turns.

[Bitmapped]

I haven't seen mentioned anywhere exactly where the mudslide occurred, but depending on the location, the median gates might not have been all that useful.

The articles I saw mentioned a 12-mile backup. There's no place on the Turnpike that is more than 12 miles between interchanges. The longest in the Paint Creek-Cabin Creek section is 8 miles, with spacing generally being more like 5-6 miles, so I'm puzzled why WVPA (or people themselves) didn't just exit and turn around.

[Dirt Roads]

I haven't seen mentioned anywhere exactly where the mudslide occurred, but depending on the location, the median gates might not have been all that useful.

The articles I saw mentioned a 12-mile backup. There's no place on the Turnpike that is more than 12 miles between interchanges. The longest in the Paint Creek-Cabin Creek section is 8 miles, with spacing generally being more like 5-6 miles, so I'm puzzled why WVPA (or people themselves) didn't just exit and turn around.

My impression is that the mudslide was just south of the Sharon (Cabin Creek) exit.  In the original reports, most of the media outlets had the photo of all of the truckers lined up in the middle lane heading up from the Paint Creek exit (between mile markers 74 and 75) leaving the hill climbing lane open for emergency vehicles.

By the way, many of the media outlets have replaced the above photo with this one at the same location.  The original one appears to be the leading frame of a video supplied by the Associated Press.  In this other photo, many of the media outlets (including this one in US News and World Report) have incorrectly identified the location as "Sharon, West Virginia" since the next exit location is somewhat readable in this one.

[seicer]

Ah - so it was in an area that a median barrier opening wouldn't have mattered.

But as far as those openings go, police or WVTP workers would need to be stationed on the other side to close down the lane(s) so traffic could detour safely. That was the point of those median openings.

[SP Cook]

Officials are saying that the turn arounds would have taken as long to set up and then take down than fixing the drain was supposed to take. 

The turn arounds, and a signing of various detours:

https://transportation.wv.gov/Turnpike/travel_resources/Pages/Detour-Routes.aspx

were a response to a badly handled snow storm maybe 15 years ago.  The thing was, at least considering snow, the turnpike is not really special, it is very likely all of the recommended detours would have the same weather, as would, probably, the connecting roads.  Now, they can work for the frequent truck crashes, which all go back to the inadequate on-the-cheap design of the northern third of the road.  They added two lanes, by doing a limited amount of blasting, resulting the median-free Jersey barriers, twists, turns, and elevation changes, not found on other interstates over similar topography, all because they wanted to keep the old "super two" road open, while the other interstates were built out on virgin land and they had a proper design and blasting.

The turnpike pushes this "88 miles of miracle" spiel to explain the northern third's inadequacy, but the road is no more (or less) a miracle than any of many interstate sections in mountainous areas which have proper designs.

[GCrites]

It wasn't that cheap to move the river through the northern third though, as I saw on Mr. Wizard's World as a kid.

[Beltway]

Now, they can work for the frequent truck crashes, which all go back to the inadequate on-the-cheap design of the northern third of the road.  They added two lanes, by doing a limited amount of blasting, resulting the median-free Jersey barriers, twists, turns, and elevation changes, not found on other interstates over similar topography, all because they wanted to keep the old "super two" road open, while the other interstates were built out on virgin land and they had a proper design and blasting.
The turnpike pushes this "88 miles of miracle" spiel to explain the northern third's inadequacy, but the road is no more (or less) a miracle than any of many interstate sections in mountainous areas which have proper designs.

I have reviewed the route and the terrain and it is an almost unique topography. I saw no relocated route that would have any better terrain.

Best I could do was eliminate 5 or 6 sharp curves by using major viaducts or tunnels. Probably need 4 or 5 tunnels in the 0.5 to 1.0 mile long range.

Today the road is at or near the 6-lane warrants range. Be interesting to see how they will design that.

From what I found, there's no clear evidence that a full relocation of the northern third of the WV Turnpike was seriously pursued during the 1980s rebuild. The focus seems to have been on upgrading the existing alignment to Interstate standards rather than exploring entirely new corridors.

The modernization effort, completed in 1988, was massive -- costing over $683 million (equivalent to more than $1.5 billion today). It included bypassing the Memorial Tunnel and making significant improvements to curves, grades, and interchanges, but largely within the original right-of-way. The terrain through that section is so rugged that even modest realignments required major structures-- like the 1.72-mile bypass of the tunnel and the Stanley Bender Bridge.

There was at least one project in Kanawha County that involved relocating a portion of U.S. Route 119 and building eight bridges and four ramps, but that was more about local connectivity than a wholesale reroute of the Turnpike itself.

So it looks like the decision-makers opted to work with what they had -- probably due to a mix of cost, environmental impact, and the sheer difficulty of carving a new path through that terrain. If they ever do go for a six-lane expansion, though, they might have to revisit some of those old "what-if" scenarios.

[sprjus4]

Be interesting to see how they will design that.

Assuming they ever will. Definitely needs 6 lanes though.

[Bitmapped]

Now, they can work for the frequent truck crashes, which all go back to the inadequate on-the-cheap design of the northern third of the road.  They added two lanes, by doing a limited amount of blasting, resulting the median-free Jersey barriers, twists, turns, and elevation changes, not found on other interstates over similar topography, all because they wanted to keep the old "super two" road open, while the other interstates were built out on virgin land and they had a proper design and blasting.
The turnpike pushes this "88 miles of miracle" spiel to explain the northern third's inadequacy, but the road is no more (or less) a miracle than any of many interstate sections in mountainous areas which have proper designs.

I have reviewed the route and the terrain and it is an almost unique topography. I saw no relocated route that would have any better terrain.

Best I could do was eliminate 5 or 6 sharp curves by using major viaducts or tunnels. Probably need 4 or 5 tunnels in the 0.5 to 1.0 mile long range.

Today the road is at or near the 6-lane warrants range. Be interesting to see how they will design that.

From what I found, there's no clear evidence that a full relocation of the northern third of the WV Turnpike was seriously pursued during the 1980s rebuild. The focus seems to have been on upgrading the existing alignment to Interstate standards rather than exploring entirely new corridors.

The modernization effort, completed in 1988, was massive -- costing over $683 million (equivalent to more than $1.5 billion today). It included bypassing the Memorial Tunnel and making significant improvements to curves, grades, and interchanges, but largely within the original right-of-way. The terrain through that section is so rugged that even modest realignments required major structures-- like the 1.72-mile bypass of the tunnel and the Stanley Bender Bridge.

There was at least one project in Kanawha County that involved relocating a portion of U.S. Route 119 and building eight bridges and four ramps, but that was more about local connectivity than a wholesale reroute of the Turnpike itself.

So it looks like the decision-makers opted to work with what they had -- probably due to a mix of cost, environmental impact, and the sheer difficulty of carving a new path through that terrain. If they ever do go for a six-lane expansion, though, they might have to revisit some of those old "what-if" scenarios.

There's no real place to do a full relocation north of Pax. Paint Creek and then over to Cabin Creek is the obvious corridor through here. It follows major creeks through rugged territory, avoids coal mines and the development that does exist, minimized impacts on the then in-service C&O Paint Creek Subdivision, and heads in the general direction of Charleston.

The only reason to potentially widen the Turnpike north of Beckley is the number of trucks, about 30% of traffic. AADT in 25K-30K range otherwise doesn't justify it.

[sprjus4]

The only reason to potentially widen the Turnpike north of Beckley is the number of trucks, about 30% of traffic. AADT in 25K-30K range otherwise doesn't justify it.

That is the big reason. Windy highway through mountainous terrain mixed with a lot of trucks and a decent amount of traffic will warrant 6 lanes. If not now, it will in the future.

It's not solely about the AADT. Truck percentages, terrain, highway geometry, etc. all play factors.