Highway Warnings (Morgantown, Fairmont, Clarksburg: home, live in, dangerous)

[David Kennedy]

Just wanted to make everyone aware of the stretch of Interstate-79 that we locals call DEATH VALLEY.
Begins at Morgantown and ends at the Weston interchange. Dangerous curves, many are not banked properly for the 80+ MPH drivers. In the summer, vehicle oils coat the surface and when any mosture collects: morning dew and rain will make these roads surfaces like slippery glass. Hundreds of people have been injured and many killed in the curves of this segment of highway since it has opened. The little white crosses and flower wreaths mark the places where deaths have occured. Many of you are moving here from areas of the country where 80+ is the regular flow of traffic speed and you do that on your commute each day. This segment of highway should be 55 mph or less in certain areas...
If you are delayed because of a vehicle accident, and when they happen the traffic is stopped for four to five hours in some cases or longer...ie: tractor trailers jacknifing and hazmat containment.
Beside the interstate is US Route 73...the old road running parallel. It will get you to Clarksburg/Bridgeport and points south...
Good Luck and Happy/Safe motoring...

[dcattrell]

Thanks for the reminder. My Dad, who taught me to drive, always reminded me about oil build up during hot months and how slick it can make roads when a quick summer rain hits it. I'm always surprised that not many people know that fact. Of course, I'm always surprised at the deterioration of people's road skills in general in the last decade or so. Guess that's a sure sign I'm getting older. :-)

[WVUPharm2007]

I'd like to remind everybody that if the little sign that reads "Speed Limit - 55MPH - When Flashing" isn't flashing...the speed limit is 70MPH. I've had to drive to Clarksburg from Morgantown and back every day for the last 3 weeks and I swear to God, I get stuck behind people from Virginia or Pennsylvania who can't read and piddle down I-79 at 55MPH every day.

[GottaHerdOn]

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.

[WVUPharm2007]

If I was a cop, I'd pull over the guys in the rear. Teach them that the pansies that don't have the cajones to be the leader, but still speed, are breaking the law, too.

[GottaHerdOn]

I'd love for you to be a cop! I was sooo pissed. The guy right behind me like speed up and took that exit at Saltwell, and I just kept driving for about a mile... and the cop was still coming. So I knew I was done. ha ha

[AmericanRoadGirl]

Mr. Kennedy is spot on with his warning. I am originally from Fairmont and my family and many friends live in the area. The danger of I-79 comes up in conversations ALL the time. There seems to be a bad accident every few weeks. The speed limit should be reduced along this corridor and cabling installed in the center median. Be careful.

[Triplewillow]

As a former over the road truck driver and former WV resident, I can say too that this is right on! Some of the speeds that are legal are still too high on many mountain roads and interstates.

I got many a rude remark sent over the radio at me for slowing down in this area but as stated, the roads are not really banked properly to support the speed. Especially in a truck weighing in at 75000 plus pounds! That's how jacknifing happens sometimes!

Great public service post David Kennedy!

[David Kennedy]

Time to post this old chestnut again...several wrecks this week near the Goshen Road exit...south of Morgantown...
same old place right over the exit...
How many people will have to die before this area of interstate highway is managed safely?

[Threerun]

I just moved to Clarksburg/Bridgeport and I tend to agree that 79 is a tricky road. Luckily I work in Clarksburg, so I don't have to spend much time on it.

However I would say this section of 79 seems to be a lot safer/less treacherous than the stretch of US 81 that begins in Falling Waters and continues south to Winchester VA. There are horrible accidents along that stretch of highway. It's a major North/south trucking route and when you mix heavy commercial traffic with the numb-nuts driving 80mph+, you have a perfect recipe for disasters.

I hated driving that road, especially at night around Martinsburg.