Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Could we put in place a plan for Wv for the next 100 years....unless we learn personal levitation for transportation, we will be stuck on the ground.
It's not all about what we need right now...there is a future coming...
I agree I think we need big projects, including finishing corridor h. I'd like to see rt 50 improved upon, if you have ever taken 50 through grafton you would see my point there. I think we could build several roads that would increase traffic through wv. Most city traffic in wv really isn't even comparable to traffic in say northern virginia or pittsburgh. I think our transportation problems have more to do with those famous country roads and the inability to travel efficiently to more rural areas. I would think this has a lot to do with the stereotype that wv is isolated from civilization. I like roads that welcome visitors and tourist. Getting from point a to b in my neck of the woods is pretty easy because there really aren't mountains in my location, I do miss those mountains btw. In some places in wv though it takes 1 hour to travel 30 miles.
No it isn't. It's more like 90 minutes. I know this because I can make it from my condo in north Arlington that is less than 2 miles from the DC line to Moorefield in 2 hours. My family has a cabin between Moorefield and Petersburg so I have made this trip plenty of times. That time is of course without traffic. I've learned to not make the mistake of leaving any time after 3 pm or so on Fridays or later than noon on a Saturday. If there was a four lane from I-81 to the WV state line it would take even less time. Virginia is mostly not interested in building it because they are afraid it will cause sprawl from the greater DC area to spread farther into the Shenandoah Valley. And VDOT is broke.
If you drove fast enough you could it make it in 90 minutes or even less. Technically, you could make it in 5 minutes at the right speeds.
However, doing the fastest possible route at the speed limit is almost 2 hours. Go to google maps and see for yourself.
My wife's uncle is the former Commissioner of VDOT. He is still a consultant for any new road undertakings there. They are very careful about highway projects they undertake and consider many factors before assigning priorities. You said VDOT is broke and you are not far wrong. Like any other state, they are feeling the pinch of recent hard economic times. They aren't going to p*ss money down the drain on a project like this where there are actual pressing matters at hand to deal with existing demand.
Although my wife has high regard for Virginia, my own opinion is tempered by a number of other factors. However, when it comes to public spending that state is much less influenced by the kinds of irrational politics that our own state has long accepted as a way of life. There is just something about politics in West Virginia, most especially southern West Virginia politics, that defies logic at virtually every turn.
When corridor H is done in Virginia it will meet I-81 and I-66. On I-66 it is about 80 miles further to downtown DC. So it is not really a road to nowhere, when it will bring the DC metro area right into the heart of WV. It will make everything from tourism, to transporting goods from ports inland easier.
Westbound traffic from DC/Balto goes via either I68 or I70 to points west and north. That would not be affected by this Corridor H route. Neither would Morgantown see significant impact. It would potentially impact traffic to the west and south. You'd see more traffic into lower NCWV and less along the portion of I64 as far west as US 19. It would also have little affect on any traffic through Charleston.
I drove along that route from Buckhannon to Elkins just a couple months ago. It is a nice road, but it has very little traffic. I am not opposed to having nice roads anywhere. But there is not the pressing need for this particular road that we have here in Morgantown. Have the right priorities, finish the infrastructure here where there is visably demonstrated need, then move on to projects like this one and the one that would complete a 4 lane from Wheeling to Huntington, US 35, and I68 from Morgantown to Moundsville.
It is a matter of priorities, and our need is greatest at this time.
My wife's uncle is the former Commissioner of VDOT. He is still a consultant for any new road undertakings there. They are very careful about highway projects they undertake and consider many factors before assigning priorities. You said VDOT is broke and you are not far wrong. Like any other state, they are feeling the pinch of recent hard economic times. They aren't going to p*ss money down the drain on a project like this where there are actual pressing matters at hand to deal with existing demand.
Although my wife has high regard for Virginia, my own opinion is tempered by a number of other factors. However, when it comes to public spending that state is much less influenced by the kinds of irrational politics that our own state has long accepted as a way of life. There is just something about politics in West Virginia, most especially southern West Virginia politics, that defies logic at virtually every turn.
My understanding of Virginia is that NOVA gets the lions share of funding, and the rest of the state is resentful, which is the opposite of WV where the south gets all the funding. In Virginia they are smart enough to fund infrastructure where the growth is and not as handouts.
Anyway, Virginia has made it clear there portion of Corridor H is not a priority for them and dont want to spend money on a road that they feel would take business out of Virginia into WV.
Corridor H would help a few tourist areas of WV, but by in large the area along it will decline. I do see several cool artsy/outdoorsy towns forming along it.
The smartest thing to do would be give Morgantown money for roads. For every mile built in Morgantown the revenue generated could probably fund 100 miles of road in the south.
Elkview is now getting a Penn Station, Autozone, Ponderosa, Rent a Center, and some kind of shoe store. These are all pretty good businesses for the area. The Penn Station will be the 8th in the state with other locations in Parkersburg, Huntington, Beckley, Kanawha City, Southridge, Saint Albans, and Teays Valley. Auto zone is building across from Burger King and Gomart. Rent a center will be located behind Kmart in the new plaza back there.
Funny story about Ponderosa is that they are building where another Ponderosa was located. A year or so ago they tore down the old Ponderosa to build an Applebees. After that fell through, they decided to build a Ponderosa again.
Elkview is now getting a Penn Station, Autozone, Ponderosa, Rent a Center, and some kind of shoe store. These are all pretty good businesses for the area. The Penn Station will be the 8th in the state with other locations in Parkersburg, Huntington, Beckley, Kanawha City, Southridge, Saint Albans, and Teays Valley. Auto zone is building across from Burger King and Gomart. Rent a center will be located behind Kmart in the new plaza back there.
Funny story about Ponderosa is that they are building where another Ponderosa was located. A year or so ago they tore down the old Ponderosa to build an Applebees. After that fell through, they decided to build a Ponderosa again.
Nothing shows off success like an autozone and a ponderosa. Maybe if things keep improving they might even get an olive garden and a jiffy lube.
Elkview is now getting a Penn Station, Autozone, Ponderosa, Rent a Center, and some kind of shoe store. These are all pretty good businesses for the area. The Penn Station will be the 8th in the state with other locations in Parkersburg, Huntington, Beckley, Kanawha City, Southridge, Saint Albans, and Teays Valley. Auto zone is building across from Burger King and Gomart. Rent a center will be located behind Kmart in the new plaza back there.
Funny story about Ponderosa is that they are building where another Ponderosa was located. A year or so ago they tore down the old Ponderosa to build an Applebees. After that fell through, they decided to build a Ponderosa again.
Do you have any idea what it costs to fund a hundred miles of this type of road? You'd need a lot more than a few Wendy's and Auto Zones to make it worthwhile. You'd also need more than 8 or 10 white water rafting trips during warm weather months. You'd need MAJOR industrial or similar development employing thousands to make it worthwhile. We already have that in place in Morgantown and a lot more is waiting in the wings for the infrastructure to develop. Build the roads for us, and the tax revenue alone would help build your corridors to nowhere and the spin off Baskin and Robins stores.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
