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I am guitly of this too. But when I was at home and went to to Clarksburg, Fairmont or Morgantown.. I didn't drive 70. The traffic flow is anywhere between 75 - 85. For those turns and contstruction its just not safe. I got cought at that bridge near the saltwell exit on that long striaght between Clarksburg and Fairmont on 79 when I was 17. 91 mph in a full size SUV, which was stupid but I mean traffic was moving like 80-85. But he got me because I was the "leader of the pack." I'd say the speed factor has a lot to do with it being death valley too.
What was the fine, and how many points for going 91mph? Just curious.
Maybe our new National Savior will put up the road construction funds needed to improve roads in North Central to the point where they are sufficient to handle the steadily growing demand? It has become abundantly clear that we can't depend on the idiots who run the State Government in Charleston to do anything constructive. They brag about having a $50 million surplus while ignoring the most pressing problems that exist.
Ha ha.. well I was 17 years old at the time, and already had 3 points on my license. So I only had 3 left, and with 91 being considered by some to be "wreckless" driving I was supposed to lose my license for having too many points. The ticket was going to be around $400 and something I think, and I don't even want to think about what our insurance would have been like since I had previously totaled two Grand Cherokee's even though I wasn’t ticketed in the accidents.
But luckily when you know the right people... or when your parents know the right people, those things tend to disappear. So I didn't lose my license or have to pay the fine.
ha ha I remember I wasn't going to tell my parents about it because I knew they'd flip. But my mom found the ticket in my room one day. I got home from school and my dad was there, which was weird, since it was normally a day he stayed in Fairmont that night. But he was all calm, and sat me down at the kitchen table, and then slammed the ticket down in front of me and the f bomb just came spewing out of his mouth.. ha ha ha
We're considering a trip to West Virginia, and we know NOTHING about the state. We've never been.
It hit me last night that with all of the mountains, there might be roads with no guardrails that we the unexperienced should stay away from.
If we come up from Wytheville, VA to Lewisburg, WV, then to the Greenbank Observatory and up to Morgantown, would we encounter any dangerous mountain roads with no guard rails....or maybe even dangerous roads period?
How about from Morgantown to Charleston then to Beckley and back down to Wytheville?
We're considering a trip to West Virginia, and we know NOTHING about the state. We've never been.
It hit me last night that with all of the mountains, there might be roads with no guardrails that we the unexperienced should stay away from.
If we come up from Wytheville, VA to Lewisburg, WV, then to the Greenbank Observatory and up to Morgantown, would we encounter any dangerous mountain roads with no guard rails....or maybe even dangerous roads period?
How about from Morgantown to Charleston then to Beckley and back down to Wytheville?
Thanks in advance for any help you can give.
I don't think you would encounter any such roads getting to Lewisburg. I'm not familiar with the roads you would encounter getting from Lewisburg to Greenbank. I would assume from Greenbank, you would go to Elkins, then west to I-79 thru Buckhannon, and North to Morgantown.
You can drive from Morgantown to Charleston on I-79, then I-64/I-77 to Beckley, then I-77 to Wytheville.
None of those roads are going to be problems with no guardrails. Off hand, I can't recall any numbered highways where such a problem exists. Those problems are more likely to occur on small, locally maintained roads, not on state or federal highways.
We're considering a trip to West Virginia, and we know NOTHING about the state. We've never been.
It hit me last night that with all of the mountains, there might be roads with no guardrails that we the unexperienced should stay away from.
If we come up from Wytheville, VA to Lewisburg, WV, then to the Greenbank Observatory and up to Morgantown, would we encounter any dangerous mountain roads with no guard rails....or maybe even dangerous roads period?
How about from Morgantown to Charleston then to Beckley and back down to Wytheville?
Thanks in advance for any help you can give.
Hi there,
I will try to tackle your question in segments.
>Wytheville to Lewisburg
Are you planning on taking interstates (I-77 and I-64) for this section? If so, then the highway is curviest between Wytheville and Princeton, WV. It is much easier going the rest of the way, especially once you get to 64 East. It's a beautiful route which features one of the highest interstate passes east of the Mississippi (Ghent/Flat Top) at roughly 3,000 ft., and the highest interstate bridge (Glade Creek Bridge) near Beckley.
If you go this way, I HIGHLY recommend making a small pitstop at the Grandview Overlook off of exit 129B on 64 West. It's a part of the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, and there are stunning views of the gorge! It's not far off the highway, maybe 5-6 miles. If you are feeling even more adventurous than that, make the detour up to Fayetteville and experience that primary spots associated with the NRG, including the world famous bridge. Totally worth it! And include a stop at Tamarack in Beckley!
If you decide to take backroads (ie: Route 219), the roads through there are actually pretty safe for WV standards! Driving through Monroe County, WV is another beautiful trek. There's not a lot of businesses that way, so use your stops efficiently.
>Lewisburg to Green Bank
There's multiple ways to achieve this route. You'll be in WV, so totally avoiding curvy and hilly drives is virtually impossible. If you are just trying to take the easiest pass, then I would recommend taking US 219 from Lewisburg to Marlington. Then take 39, 28, and 92 to get to Green Bank. Another option is first heading over to White Sulphur Springs then taking 92 the entire way. I personally feel that it feels a little more curvy, but both are pretty much the same. But if you took that route you could check out the Greenbrier if you weren't planning doing so already.
>Green Bank to Morgantown
I would need more information to provide you with a "safer option". How long are you planning on doing all this in? What time of year? It's a 3 hour drive in the shortest route. This is easily the most mountainous and difficult part of your journey. There are guardrails virtually everywhere, so I wouldn't worry so much about that. It's not like those roads in Nepal, where buses and trucks are passing on cliff sides! However, there will most definitely be steep hills, hairpin turns, and plenty of blind spots! It's a stunning drive, but it feels more like a roller coaster than a road at times. If you get car sick, make sure to take something!
Depending on which way you go, there's plenty of amazing things to see along the way! Any way out of Greenbank will take you on rough roads, so just prepare yourself. Don't think that the longer way around will save you from experiencing it. I would recommend planning your route based on potential things to see. You are in one of the most beautiful regions of the country, and there's so many opportunities for sightseeing!
If you are unfamiliar with the area, here's a list of cool things you could check out along the way. Some will depend on the route you take.
I could go on and on about all of these things, but I'm already going on and on and will just press on! LOL
>Morgantown to Charleston
I-79 has some really curvy spots, but most of them are between Morgantown and Weston (as stated by the OP). For the most part, it's an easy drive if you are used to Appalachian driving. However, if you're a flat lander it might appear to be a hurdle. Cars typically drive between 75-80 MPH on 79 despite the curves. There's also stretches of the road that virtually have no services. Flatwoods to Elkview is a notorious stretch where you will find few gas stations, fast food, etc... I will say this, if you are looking for excellent pizza then get off the Big Otter exit (Exit 40)(Yes, that's it's real name!) and head to Pizza's and Cream! They accept cash only, but the food and homemade ice cream/Gelato is AMAZING!
>Charleston to Beckley
This might be the most difficult stretch of interstate highway you ever face in your life! It's curvy, hilly, and filled with trucks! The combination of I-64/77 is also the WV Turnpike and cost you $12.75 CASH. They do accept EZPass. The road can easily turn into a parking lot with wrecks happening frequently. It's unavoidable unless you're willing to drive WAY out of your way.
I would recommend taking it easy and not letting the big rigs intimidate you! For the most part they will be taking it easy also. It's really the out of staters that drive too fast.
I hope this helps, and feel free to ask more questions. I like answering these types of questions (if you couldn't tell LOL)
Thanks so much for your help mensaguy and Chriscross309.
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