West Virginia

[Dirt Roads]

...and remove the structurally deficient circa-1965 bridge.

We lived in Dunbar at the time this section of I-64 was constructed.  We were all surprised that the State Road Commission built this interchange on WV-25, because we were expecting the same exact thing as the original St. Albans exit (Exit 44, then WV-17) that was constructed just a few years prior.  The original St. Albans exit came down to Route 17 roughly the same way it does today, with a T-bone intersection with a left-lane for northbound and a right-lane for southbound. It originally had a heart-shaped off-ramp/on-ramp for I-64 westbound where the OFF-RAMP had the stop sign to allow on-ramp traffic to make the left turn unimpeded. 

Good thing that Exit 50 wasn't designed this way.  When Scott Depot exit traffic got heavier in the late 1960s, the off-ramp traffic would occasionally backup onto the "Green Bridge" over the Kanawha River, even though there was hardly any on-ramp traffic heading westbound.

Anywhoosit, even though Exit 50 has always been signed for Institute (named after West Virginia State, our local historically-Black college), this exit has always served as the main exit for Nitro residents.  Thus, for a while this now-deficient bridge over WV-25 made Nitro feel like it was one of the more important cities in the Kanawha Valley.

[The_Ginger]

...and remove the structurally deficient circa-1965 bridge.

Anywhoosit, even though Exit 50 has always been signed for Institute (named after West Virginia State, our local historically-Black college), this exit has always served as the main exit for Nitro residents.  Thus, for a while this now-deficient bridge over WV-25 made Nitro feel like it was one of the more important cities in the Kanawha Valley.

Is this why it was designed favoring Nitro traffic, and making Institute traffic make left turns? I have often wondered why this was.

[Bitmapped]

Reconstruction of the Interstate 64 ramp system at SR 25 in Institute is scheduled to go out for bid in June. The project will replace the antiquated interchange layout with a single-lane roundabout and remove the structurally deficient circa-1965 bridge.

Awesome, awesome, awesome. I've wondered why that intersection was designed like that, and it's always good to have another roundabout.

I also assume the new roundabout will look somewhat like this drawing:

Traffic using the interchange was, at least originally, primarily to/from the west on WV 25, with Dunbar and the old Union Carbide plant.

The bid package shows the proposed roundabout. It will basically be where the ramp from I-64 meets WV 25 now. There will be bypass lanes for the I-64 to WV 25 WB and WV 25 WB to I-64 movements.

[The_Ginger]

Reconstruction of the Interstate 64 ramp system at SR 25 in Institute is scheduled to go out for bid in June. The project will replace the antiquated interchange layout with a single-lane roundabout and remove the structurally deficient circa-1965 bridge.

Awesome, awesome, awesome. I've wondered why that intersection was designed like that, and it's always good to have another roundabout.

I also assume the new roundabout will look somewhat like this drawing:

Traffic using the interchange was, at least originally, primarily to/from the west on WV 25, with Dunbar and the old Union Carbide plant.

The bid package shows the proposed roundabout. It will basically be where the ramp from I-64 meets WV 25 now. There will be bypass lanes for the I-64 to WV 25 WB and WV 25 WB to I-64 movements.

I figured that. I don't suppose the traffic is enough for a bypass lane for WV 25 eastbound.

[Dirt Roads]

...and remove the structurally deficient circa-1965 bridge.

Anywhoosit, even though Exit 50 has always been signed for Institute (named after West Virginia State, our local historically-Black college), this exit has always served as the main exit for Nitro residents.  Thus, for a while this now-deficient bridge over WV-25 made Nitro feel like it was one of the more important cities in the Kanawha Valley.

Is this why it was designed favoring Nitro traffic, and making Institute traffic make left turns? I have often wondered why this was.

Likely so.  Nitro traffic heading for the chemical plants on the north side of the Kanawha stayed on WV-25.  The remainder were headed to Charleston during the rush.  Some folks did live on the northwest side of town and would have hopped on I-64 at Exit 45, but most of town was on the eastside and hopped on at Exit 50.  Only to get forced off at Exit 52 for the next nine years (I-64 was completed to Dunbar in 1967, but not completed to South Charleston and beyond until 1976).

Come to think of it, Nitro folks headed over to the big (then) Union Carbide in South Charleston probably used I-64 as well, since the Dunbar exit conveniently rerouted Roxalana Road (and exit traffic) to dump onto the Dunbar Toll Bridge.  Most folks would have paid the nickle to avoid the mess getting to the Patrick Street Bridge (US-60 westbound) to come into the chemical plant from the other side.

[Dirt Roads]

Traffic using the interchange was, at least originally, primarily to/from the west on WV 25, with Dunbar and the old Union Carbide plant.

...Note that <Bitmapped> is referring to the former Carbide plant in Institute (most of which had entrances on WV-25 just west of this interchange), whereas I was referring to the big Union Carbide plant across from The Mound in downtown South Charleston.

[Bitmapped]

Traffic using the interchange was, at least originally, primarily to/from the west on WV 25, with Dunbar and the old Union Carbide plant.

...Note that <Bitmapped> is referring to the former Carbide plant in Institute (most of which had entrances on WV-25 just west of this interchange), whereas I was referring to the big Union Carbide plant across from The Mound in downtown South Charleston.

Also worth pointing out that the South Charleston Union Carbide Technology Center (now the Tech Park) has an interchange with I-64 at Kanawha Turnpike designed to favor high volumes of traffic to/from the east to the facility, and that the Montrose Drive exit from I-64 leads directly to the main entrance of the former Union Carbide South Charleston manufacturing campus.

[seicer]

Market Street Bridge Project

Project materials have been posted. Some photos courtesy of my website, Bridges & Tunnels.

• Market Street Bridge Replacement Project
• Handout

Federal funding of $87.5 million was announced in July 2024, though additional funding will be needed for construction. In March 2026, $1 million was approved for initial engineering.

Seven alternatives are being explored, including one rehabilitation option and one no-build option. Rehabilitation, however, is not considered feasible because of the structure's advanced deterioration. Of the alternatives under review, Alternatives 3 and 4 are preferred. Construction could begin in 2028 and be completed by the end of 2031.

[Bitmapped]

Market Street Bridge Project

Seven alternatives are being explored, including one rehabilitation option and one no-build option. Rehabilitation, however, is not considered feasible because of the structure's advanced deterioration. Of the alternatives under review, Alternatives 3 and 4 are preferred. Construction could begin in 2028 and be completed by the end of 2031.

The problem with Alternatives 3 and 4 as depicted is they don't provide good access to SR 7. It seems foolhardy to spend to spend $100M+ on a new bridge and not provide convenient access to the main north/south road on the Ohio side. These locations probably make sense from their connectivity to downtown and SR 43 north/west of downtown, but I'd like to see a quadrant roadway built to connect the bridge to SR 7 if they go with them.

I really just don't see the necessity of this span with US 22 only a mile north and the new Wellsburg Bridge only a couple miles south.