West Virginia

[Dirt Roads]

Don't go chasing waterfalls: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WEtxJ4-sh4.

Also:  Please stick to the rivers and lakes that you are used to.

[Rothman]

Thank goodness for what restoration there has been, then.

I had an uncle that caused quite a stir building a development that came right up to the National Park Service's land on the gorge...

[Bitmapped]

A better comparison is actually on US-250 in Virginia.  The section of US-250 between West Augusta and the West Virginia state line is one of the twistiest is the Old Dominion.  That distance is about 38 miles, which is about the same as the 39 miles between Hundred and Moundsville.  But I don't recall feeling like that section of US-250 up into the Alleghenies was ever so narrow.

I'd say that section of US 250 in Virginia is a solid step above the part in West Virginia. There are decent stretches on the Virginia part where you can go 55mph. There really aren't any between Hundred and Moundsville.

But that has very low volumes. AADT ranging from 380 to 1,100 in Highland County.

US-60 thru WV was the pre-Interstate east-west interstate highway.

I was comparing the part of US 250 in Virginia to the part of US 250 in West Virginia, which has similarly low traffic counts.

[Beltway]

But that has very low volumes. AADT ranging from 380 to 1,100 in Highland County.
US-60 thru WV was the pre-Interstate east-west interstate highway.

I was comparing the part of US 250 in Virginia to the part of US 250 in West Virginia, which has similarly low traffic counts.

Is it that low? Large parts in Highland Country are 500 or below.

Extremely low for a US highway. Lowest volumes at least in Virginia are 1,500 or so.

[Dirt Roads]

But that has very low volumes. AADT ranging from 380 to 1,100 in Highland County.
US-60 thru WV was the pre-Interstate east-west interstate highway.

I was comparing the part of US 250 in Virginia to the part of US 250 in West Virginia, which has similarly low traffic counts.

Is it that low? Large parts in Highland Country are 500 or below.

Extremely low for a US highway. Lowest volumes at least in Virginia are 1,500 or so.

In some places, it is quite low.  There was some AADT discussion for this section of US-250 upthread, but here are the numbers from the least travelled segment:

Mannington 3,152
Condit 1,792
Metz 1,460
West of Metz 1,391
Pogue Run 1,302
Burton 2,075
Cussicks Crossing 2,185
Rock Camp 945
Browns Run 669
[East] of Littleton 634 (2024)
Littleton 650
Promise Land 580
Denver Heights 498
Burley 535
Penna Fish Creek 663 (2024)
Bellton 615
Ben Run Fracker 698
Midcap 764
North of Big Run 1,023 (2024)
[East] of Cameron 1,191 (2024)
Cameron 1,410
North of Cameron 2,306 (2024)
Clouston 1,951
South of Rock Lick 2,028
North of Rock Lick 2,282
Middle Grave Creek 2,301
Pleasant Valley 2,575
Limestone 3,648 (2024)

AADT data is from the year 2023 except as noted.

[Beltway]

Those are very low volumes. It speaks of how lightly populated the corridor is, I surmise.

[seicer]

The lowest I could find for US 250 in West Virginia was 468 (2023) in Littleton. 127 of those were trucks.

[seicer]

Funding secured for Dunbar Toll Bridge, Kanawha Turnpike I-64 Overpass bridge projects
4/7/2026

U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., announced a $65 million grant through the U.S. Department of Transportation's Competitive Highway Bridge Program to replace the aging Dunbar Toll Bridge and rehabilitate the Kanawha Turnpike Overpass Bridge on Interstate 64.

Capito, chair of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, announced the grant on Friday, April 3, 2026.

State Transportation Secretary Todd Rumbaugh applauded the grant.

"The $65 million for the Kanawha Valley Bridge Bundle is a massive win for the safety and connectivity of our region," Rumbaugh said. "We are grateful for Senator Capito's work in Washington to secure these federal funds. This investment ensures West Virginia has the resources to modernize our most critical corridors, keeping our drivers safe and our economy moving.

"This achievement is a direct reflection of the 'maintenance-first' mission we have undertaken at the WVDOT," Rumbaugh said. "We appreciate Governor Morrisey's leadership and his strong support for infrastructure; under his guidance, our focus remains on preserving our existing system and ensuring the roads and bridges West Virginians count on every day are both functional and safe."

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WVDOH accepts bids for bridge replacement, rehabilitation projects
4/16/2026

[...]
Butchers Run Truss Bridge replacement. (Gilmer County)

[The_Ginger]

Does anyone here have a photo of a CR 89 sign in Wetzel or Marshall County? If I can, I'd like to place one on the WV 891 article on the AARoads Wiki. The photo would have to be placed on Wikimedia Commons if someone has one and would like to contribute it.

[74/171FAN]

Does anyone here have a photo of a CR 89 sign in Wetzel or Marshall County? If I can, I'd like to place one on the WV 891 article on the AARoads Wiki. The photo would have to be placed on Wikimedia Commons if someone has one and would like to contribute it.

I got one from US 250, but I do not consider its quality good enough for Commons.  If I had considered this, I would have made sure I got a higher quality photo.

[Dirt Roads]

Does anyone here have a photo of a CR 89 sign in Wetzel or Marshall County? If I can, I'd like to place one on the WV 891 article on the AARoads Wiki. The photo would have to be placed on Wikimedia Commons if someone has one and would like to contribute it.

I got one from US 250, but I do not consider its quality good enough for Commons.  If I had considered this, I would have made sure I got a higher quality photo.

By the way, this was never CR-89 but rather the original segment of WV-89 which connected to PA-21 and was designated sometime between 1926 and 1928.  WV-89 was extended in a weird multiplex of US-250 to the current version of WV-89 in the early 1940s.  I would be curious if there are any signage photos of the US-250/WV-89 multiplex. 

It was a busy year at the DOH when WV-89 got the wrong end truncated back in 1977.  WV-88 was also truncated off its multiplex with US-250 at that same time, and WV-7 Spur was renumbered as WV-218. 

I-79 got extended south to Elkview; US-22 completed around Weirton and the old route renumbered as WV-105;  US-50 was finally placed on the Clarksburg Expressway; also US-460 completed around Bluefield and part of the old route renumbered as WV-104; another piece of former US-460 got renumbered as an extension of WV-112;  WV-2 got extended to the relocated US-30; WV-7 got fourlaned in Morgantown; WV-10 got fourlaned in Huntington; WV-20 was placed on a one-way pair in Clarksburg; Wv-28 got rerouted to Huntersville (and the other section got renumbered too); WV-44 replaced an old section of US-119 between Mount Gay -and- Mountain View; similarly, WV-65 got rerouted back to Delbarton when the other end of Corridor G took over; WV-73 was decommissioned; WV/VA-102 was truncated back to Pocahontas, and its northern segment in West Virginia renumbered as WV-103; WV-18 Alt got renumbered as WV-180;  also WV-230 was created from some local routes.

Also, if I recall correctly, WV-2 got relocated onto I-77 and replaced WV-56 pretty early in the Rockefeller administration (ergo, sometime in 1977).  That resulted in WV-68 replacing the original route of WV-2.

I'm sure that there are a few others that I've missed.

[Bitmapped]

Does anyone here have a photo of a CR 89 sign in Wetzel or Marshall County? If I can, I'd like to place one on the WV 891 article on the AARoads Wiki. The photo would have to be placed on Wikimedia Commons if someone has one and would like to contribute it.

I got one from US 250, but I do not consider its quality good enough for Commons.  If I had considered this, I would have made sure I got a higher quality photo.

By the way, this was never CR-89 but rather the original segment of WV-89 which connected to PA-21 and was designated sometime between 1926 and 1928.  WV-89 was extended in a weird multiplex of US-250 to the current version of WV-89 in the early 1940s.  I would be curious if there are any signage photos of the US-250/WV-89 multiplex. 

With US 21 already being gone from West Virginia by the time WV 89 was truncated and renumbered, I thought this was a missed opportunity to renumber to stub to match PA 21.

It was a busy year at the DOH when WV-89 got the wrong end truncated back in 1977.  WV-88 was also truncated off its multiplex with US-250 at that same time, and WV-7 Spur was renumbered as WV-218. 

It was more than just a renumbering of the brief part of WV 7 Spur from WV 7 to the PA line two blocks north. The WV 218 was extended about 22 miles south to US 19 at Worthington. Since PA 218 starts at US 19 in Waynesburg, PA/WV 218 effectively functions as an alternate to US 19, being about 15 miles shorter and 20 minutes faster per Google Maps. (Taking I-79 is still faster, though.)

[Dirt Roads]

With US 21 already being gone from West Virginia by the time WV 89 was truncated and renumbered, I thought this was a missed opportunity to renumber to stub to match PA 21.

This has proposed by multiple Roadgeeks over the years.  However, the DOH never gave up the number 21 as it was assigned to multi-county route CR-21 (now LSR-21) upon the decommissioning of US-21.  At least north of Charleston, it is still quite common for locals to use the term "Route 21" even when referring to the segment posted as WV-622.

[The_Ginger]

By the way, this was never CR-89 but rather the original segment of WV-89 which connected to PA-21 and was designated sometime between 1926 and 1928. 

It was 1929, according to the Annual Report of the State Road Commission for that year. I cited it in the WV 891 article.

It was a busy year at the DOH when WV-89 got the wrong end truncated back in 1977.  WV-88 was also truncated off its multiplex with US-250 at that same time, and WV-7 Spur was renumbered as WV-218. 

I-79 got extended south to Elkview; US-22 completed around Weirton and the old route renumbered as WV-105;  US-50 was finally placed on the Clarksburg Expressway; also US-460 completed around Bluefield and part of the old route renumbered as WV-104; another piece of former US-460 got renumbered as an extension of WV-112;  WV-2 got extended to the relocated US-30; WV-7 got fourlaned in Morgantown; WV-10 got fourlaned in Huntington; WV-20 was placed on a one-way pair in Clarksburg; Wv-28 got rerouted to Huntersville (and the other section got renumbered too); WV-44 replaced an old section of US-119 between Mount Gay -and- Mountain View; similarly, WV-65 got rerouted back to Delbarton when the other end of Corridor G took over; WV-73 was decommissioned; WV/VA-102 was truncated back to Pocahontas, and its northern segment in West Virginia renumbered as WV-103; WV-18 Alt got renumbered as WV-180;  also WV-230 was created from some local routes.

Way cool! These are super neat!

Also, if I recall correctly, WV-2 got relocated onto I-77 and replaced WV-56 pretty early in the Rockefeller administration (ergo, sometime in 1977).  That resulted in WV-68 replacing the original route of WV-2.

WV 68 mentioned! 

[Bitmapped]

With US 21 already being gone from West Virginia by the time WV 89 was truncated and renumbered, I thought this was a missed opportunity to renumber to stub to match PA 21.

This has proposed by multiple Roadgeeks over the years.  However, the DOH never gave up the number 21 as it was assigned to multi-county route CR-21 (now LSR-21) upon the decommissioning of US-21.  At least north of Charleston, it is still quite common for locals to use the term "Route 21" even when referring to the segment posted as WV-622.

The former route of US 21 north of Charleston is still County Route 21. LSR isn't a real thing or mentioned anywhere I've seen other than the one Traffic Engineering Directive of control cities that hallucinates a bunch of WV routes that don't exist. The route is inventoried as part of the county route system for the counties it goes through.

[Dirt Roads]

With US 21 already being gone from West Virginia by the time WV 89 was truncated and renumbered, I thought this was a missed opportunity to renumber to stub to match PA 21.

This has proposed by multiple Roadgeeks over the years.  However, the DOH never gave up the number 21 as it was assigned to multi-county route CR-21 (now LSR-21) upon the decommissioning of US-21.  At least north of Charleston, it is still quite common for locals to use the term "Route 21" even when referring to the segment posted as WV-622.

The former route of US 21 north of Charleston is still County Route 21. LSR isn't a real thing or mentioned anywhere I've seen other than the one Traffic Engineering Directive of control cities that hallucinates a bunch of WV routes that don't exist. The route is inventoried as part of the county route system for the counties it goes through.

I've seen several exceptions to the rule but for the most part, only the LSR-listed county routes are posted with bannered trailblazers instead of the distinctive West Virginia-style routeblades.  For a short period, CR-857 was posted with a West Virginia-style signblade at T-bone intersection of Cheat Road, Fairchance Road, and what was then called Ices Ferry Road connecting (then) US-48, but this was replaced with a Kentucky-style oval CR-857 trailblazer soonafter.  The configuration of that intersection has been changed a bunch of times over the years.  Like so much of Highway Agency vernacular across the nation, it appears that the term "LSR route" is used as a flag designating that the route qualifies for additional signage funding (but I can't find any evidence).

The original TED-220 (Control and Intermediate Destinations) was reposted onto the current WVDOT website, but there are two more recent versions available.  One of them (the 2015 update) has been posted on the vahighways.com West Virginia page by <Mapmikey>.  I've also got a 2017 version around here somewhere.  But I certainly agree that there are a bunch of "hallucinations" as you call them that are listed on all versions of the TED-220.

[hbelkins]

I remember when WV 68 was in southwestern West Virginia, running the very short distance between WV 49 and the Kentucky state line at Matewan.

[The_Ginger]

The former route of US 21 north of Charleston is still County Route 21. LSR isn't a real thing or mentioned anywhere I've seen other than the one Traffic Engineering Directive of control cities that hallucinates a bunch of WV routes that don't exist. The route is inventoried as part of the county route system for the counties it goes through.

The original TED-220 (Control and Intermediate Destinations) was reposted onto the current WVDOT website, but there are two more recent versions available.  One of them (the 2015 update) has been posted on the vahighways.com West Virginia page by <Mapmikey>.  I've also got a 2017 version around here somewhere.  But I certainly agree that there are a bunch of "hallucinations" as you call them that are listed on all versions of the TED-220.

The 2017 and 2018 ones are at the bottom of the 2017 and 2018 Design Guide For Signing, which is a great read and has great sign drawings in the back.

2017: https://transportation.wv.gov/highways/engineering/Documents/Publications%20Committee%20Meeting/DGFS%20-%20FINAL%2002.08.17.pdf (This one has signs I see a lot on the front cover, shown here)

2018: https://transportation.wv.gov/highways/engineering/Documents/2018%20Design%20Guide%20for%20Signing.pdf

[Dirt Roads]

The 2017 and 2018 ones are at the bottom of the 2017 and 2018 Design Guide For Signing, which is a great read and has great sign drawings in the back.

2017: https://transportation.wv.gov/highways/engineering/Documents/Publications%20Committee%20Meeting/DGFS%20-%20FINAL%2002.08.17.pdf (This one has signs I see a lot on the front cover, shown here)

2018: https://transportation.wv.gov/highways/engineering/Documents/2018%20Design%20Guide%20for%20Signing.pdf

I've seen these attachments, but both of these are actually the 2015 version (TED-220-2).  I may have lost the 2017 version, since a quick search on my old computer only yielded the 1993 and 2015 versions. 

Bizarre update:  In my archives, I also found a listing of Traffic Engineering Directives from February 2005 that shows TED-220-1 dated 08/14/06.  Even more bizarre, this listing shows TED-304 (Pavement Markers) dated 09/09/08.  One or more of these dates is/are incorrect.  I don't recall ever seeing TED-220-1 (and I'm not sure why I didn't squawk after seeing this listing the first time.

[seicer]

Market Street Bridge Replacement Project

STATE PROJECT: S205-002-0.09 00
FEDERAL PROJECT: STBG-0002(880)D
NEAR FOLLANSBEE, BROOKE COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA AND STEUBENVILLE, JEFFERSON COUNTY, OHIO

The West Virginia Division of Highways (WVDOH) will hold an informational workshop public meeting on Monday, May 18, 2026, at the Follansbee Community House, 1455 Park Avenue, Follansbee, WV and Tuesday, May 19, 2026 at the Brooke Hancock Jefferson (BHJ)- Metropolitan Planning Commission (MPC) office, 127S. 4th Street, Steubenville, Ohio, to provide information on the Market Street Bridge Project. The project will involve replacing the existing bridge either in its existing location or at an alternative location to be determined based on engineering, environmental, and community considerations. This meeting complies with the public involvement requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act and Section 4(f) of the U.S. Department of Transportation Act of 1966.

NO FORMAL PRESENTATION WILL BE MADE

The public meeting will be held from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. and the public will be afforded the opportunity to ask questions and give written comments on the project throughout the meeting. A handout with project details will be available at the meeting and on the project website.

[The_Ginger]

Market Street Bridge Replacement Project

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I just read about this project today on the WVDOT website. If a new bridge does get built, I wonder if the WV 2 Spur designation will stay with it...

[Bitmapped]

Market Street Bridge Replacement Project

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I just read about this project today on the WVDOT website. If a new bridge does get built, I wonder if the WV 2 Spur designation will stay with it...

Seems likely. The Wellsburg Bridge got a county route number but a couple other Ohio Ridge bridges have spur route numbers.

The Wellsburg Bridge was supposed to be the replacement for this bridge. The intention with the last Market Street Bridge renovation was to give enough time for the Wellsburg Bridge to be completed, and that when the structure could no longer support a legal load after that, it would be demolished and not replaced. ODOT did the same thing with the Fort Steuben Bridge - the US 22 Veterans Memorial Bridge was its replacement, but they kept the old bridge open until it became too expensive to maintain/repair.

I will be curious to see if a new bridge is proposed for the same site or a different location. The Steubenville end of the Market Street Bridge lacks good access to SR 7.