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Dominion Post
10-07-2025
- Automotive
- Dominion Post
Three-way agreement approved for $135 million Exit 155 project
MORGANTOWN — The old proverb teaches that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. On Wednesday, the West Virginia Division of Highways, Monongalia County Commission and developer WestRidge took the critical first step down what promises to be a long and difficult road toward a new I-79 Exit 155 interchange. In short, they sorted out the money. In a meeting attended remotely by Secretary of Transportation Todd Rumbaugh and Deputy Secretary Michael DeMers, the commission signed off on a three-way agreement that spelled out how the $135 million project budget will be covered. About half the cost – $67.2 million – will be provided by the state. Another 40%, or $54.3 million, will come through the US Department of Transportation MEGA Grant awarded in 2024, and the final 10%, totaling approximately $13.5 million, will be provided locally by WestRidge and the county. The local contribution includes design dollars already spent. As has been reported, the project will include new bridges carrying I-79 over Chaplin Hill Road, a new divergent diamond interchange, a westbound flyover at the intersection of Chaplin Hill and U.S. Route 19 to help clear heavy traffic leaving Morgantown, and a multi-modal path from the rail-trail in Star City to The Gateway. Improvements to Chaplin Hill Road up to the interstate will also be included. Exit 155 in Star City. 5-14-21 GH Ryan Lynch, representing WestRidge, noted the agreement harkens back to the three-way deal that got I-79 Exit 153 built and paid off in record time. Because of that experience, Lynch said both the county and the development team at WestRidge recognize when they have a willing partner in Charleston after years of false starts and half steps. 'With this administration and this DOH leadership, I feel very confident that we do, and that we're finally going to be able to really move this forward towards groundbreaking,' Lynch said. Lynch's comments summed up a reoccuring talking point – the renewed hope in Monongalia County brought on by new leadership and direction from the governor's office, the transportation secretary's office and DOH District 4 headquarters in Bridgeport. Specifically, the commission has lauded Gov. Patrick Morrisey's pledge to allocate funding and project support based on data, not politics. 'There's been a real change, and we've noticed it. We're now being told, and finally seen as an integral part of the state and economic development,' Commissioner Tom Bloom said, later adding, 'Where I'm excited, this is the first time that the first big project coming out of the state is in the north central area. I think that is probably a bigger surprise than anything else we've done. There's a new sheriff in town down there in transportation. I believe data-driven is key, and I believe we are now in the eyes and ears of Charleston and I can only see better things happening in the future. I appreciate that.' In a press release, Morrisey called the public-private partnership 'a model of what we can accomplish to invest in our infrastructure and grow economic development across the state.' Exit 155 and Chaplin Hill Road serve as the primary gateway to Morgantown, WVU, WVU Medicine and Mon Health Medical Center. It is the first I-79 exit south of the state line. Even so, parts of the interchange fail during peak travel times. The failure is particularly evident, and dangerous, during large sporting events and the increasingly large and frequent events hosted by Mylan Park. The state has pledged to install temporary traffic lights at the interchange's entrance and exit ramps until the reconfiguration project is complete. It was recently explained that those lights likely won't be in place until the end of the year. 'As you all have said, this is a gateway to West Virginia. It is the gateway to WVU, and it really needs to be a showcase. I think this project is going to take it to the next level and really help things out,' Rumbaugh said. While no timeline was offered during the presentation, the $54.3 million federal grant comes with a 2028 deadline, meaning those dollars will likely be spent first. Commissioner Sean Sikora said the 'big beautiful deal' is just the first step of many. 'This is the first step. We've got a lot of work to do, but we've got this memorialized, and we also have our marching orders to move forward. Our public is going to start seeing progress,' Sikora said. 'It's going to be two, three, four, five years, but we are working on it and we're phasing it so we can show progress and access those federal funds. I'm really excited to get this thing moving forward.'
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Report: Morgantown's roads are the worst in West Virginia
Apr. 8—MORGANTOWN — The road conditions in Morgantown are worse than anywhere else in West Virginia. It's a refrain heard time and again around these parts from frustrated, pot-hole dazed drivers. It also happens to be accurate according to the most recent data from national transportation research nonprofit TRIP. In Keeping West Virginia Moving Forward: Progress & Challenges in Achieving a 21st Century Transportation System, TRIP reports that 29 % of Morgantown's major roads are in "poor " condition — by far the highest percentage in any of the state's urban areas. By way of comparison, 4 % of Beckley's roads are considered poor. In fact, the percentage of bad roads in Beckley, Huntington, Parkersburg and Wheeling ranges from 4-10 %. Charleston sits at 11 %. Weirton-Steubenville has the second highest percentage of poor roads, at 18 %. Morgantown also has the highest percentage of "mediocre " roads, at 22 %; the lowest percentage of "fair " roads at 13 %; and far and away the lowest percentage of "good " roads, at 36 %. The average percentage of good roads in the six other urban areas is 58 %, topped by Beckley at 69 %. So, what does this mean for Morgantown's drivers ? Money. TRIP notes, "The HDM study found that road deterioration increases ownership, repair, fuel and tire costs. The report found that deteriorated roads accelerate the pace of depreciation of vehicles and the need for repairs because the stress on the vehicle increases in proportion to the level of roughness of the pavement surface." According to the data, busted roads cost Morgantown drivers an average of $875 each year, which is $250 more than what they cost drivers in Weirton-Steubenville — the urban area with the second highest annual cost, at $625 — and more than three times what they cost drivers in Beckley ($272). West Virginia Secretary of Transportation Todd Rumbaugh was among the speakers Tuesday morning during a virtual news conference organized by TRIP. He said the state is looking to improve road conditions despite facing declining funding levels in a post-Roads to Prosperity atmosphere. Rumbaugh explained the $1.6 billion bond program approved under Gov. Jim Justice made a lot of projects possible but represented a drop in the bucket in terms of overall need. Further, as available funding decreases, the funding that remains is becoming less effective. The Federal Highway Administration's national highway construction cost index, which measures labor and materials cost, increased by 45 % from the beginning of 2022 through the second quarter of 2024. "We are looking to reorganize and restructure with the guidance of Governor Morrissey. We're going to get much more efficient. We're going to improve our roadways, " Rumbaurgh said, later adding, "We do have some areas that we realize that we need to do some work based on congestion. A few areas of the state are growing and that's a great thing, but it does create a congestion problem and we realize we need to work in those areas also to get ahead of the game where we can." While Morgantown is one of the state's handful of growth areas, it's pretty much middle-of-the-road in terms of traffic. Morgantown drivers lose 16 hours annually to congestion, which is on par with Beckley (15) and Huntington (15) but less than Weirton-Steubenville (21), Charleston (26) and Wheeling (39). As the majority of "major " roads in the greater Morgantown area are maintained by the state, The Dominion Post reached out to the West Virginia Division of Highways regarding TRIP's findings. The DOH did not respond in time for this report.
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
WVDOH begins pothole patching Monday: Here's where
CHARLESTON, (WBOY) — West Virginians have made it through a tough 2025 winter season. West Virginia roads however, have no faired so well, with Transportation Secretary Todd Rumbaugh describing the winter weather as 'perfect weather for potholes.' Some West Virginia roads may soon see an improvement however as the West Virginia Division of Highways announced Monday that it will begin pothole patching 'in earnest.' 'Now that asphalt plants are open around the Mountain State, West Virginia Division of Highways (WVDOH) road crews are embarking on an aggressive campaign to mill and fill potholes,' the WVDOH said in a press release. National Weather Service seeking damage reports from Sunday storm Patching will be taking place today in several north central West Virginia counties, including Harrison, Doddridge, Marion, Monongalia, Preston, Taylor, Barbour and Tucker. You can see a full like of counties and specific roads below. WV 3, WV 85, and North Fork Road, Boone County Grassy Fork Road, and Elk River Road, Clay County US 60, WV 61, Craigs Branch Road, and Indian Creek Road, Kanawha County Tribble Road, and Poindexter Road, Mason County US 35, and Poindexter Road, Putnam County US 60, Cabell County WV 3, and WV 10, Lincoln County US 52, Mingo County US 52, and US 60, Wayne County US 33, Calhoun County Middle Fork Road, Jackson County US 119, Roane County Smithton Road, and Meathouse Fork Road, Doddridge County WV 20, WV58, WV 270, WV 279, and Stone Pot Road, Harrison County US 250, and Sycamore Road, Marion County WV 100, and various county routes, Monongalia County US 50, and WV 92, Preston County US 50, US 250, Quality Lane, and Jerry Run Road, Taylor County Summit Point Road, Jefferson County US 250, Barbour County Mingo Flats Road, and Point Mountain Road, Randolph County US 219, Tucker County Smithers Road, Fayette County The WVDOH did note in the release that inclement weather or unforeseen circumstances may change the patching schedule. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
WVDOH preparing for annual ‘war on potholes'
CHARLESTON, (WBOY) — The West Virginia Division of Highways (WVDOH) and its partners in the asphalt industry are preparing for the springtime 'war on potholes' as warmer weather makes a return to the Mountain State. Crews must wait for warm, dry weather to fill potholes with permanent hot asphalt, which has certain requirements to set such as ground temperatures being above 45 degrees Fahrenheit. Asphalt plants usually shut down in the winter for maintenance, so cold asphalt is used to make temporary repairs on severe, 'tire-busting' potholes until temperatures rise. Transportation Secretary Todd Rumbaugh said that this winter has been tough on West Virginia roads. 'This has been the worst winter we've had in years,' Rumbaugh said. 'It's perfect weather for potholes.' West Virginia law enforcement will be targeting this traffic violation starting Friday A press release from the WVDOH explains that to make a permanent pothole repair, crews mill out a square or rectangle around the pothole roughly two inches deep. Debris is removed from the hole and a layer of sticky tack is placed down, which helps the hot asphalt adhere to the road surface. The asphalt is then poured into the hole and rolled flat with a machine. John Crane, executive director of the Asphalt Pavement Association in Charleston, said that there are around three dozen asphalt plants serving the state of West Virginia, with a few already open. In the past, the WVDOH was able to work with some asphalt plant owners to open early because of mild winters, but multiple winter storms and polar plunges made that impossible this year. 'Our intention is to patch all our potholes as quickly as possible,' Rumbaugh said. 'Please be patient with us as we endeavor to patch these potholes. Slow down and pay attention to work zones for the safety of you and our workers.' If your vehicle sustained damage from a pothole, you can learn how to file a claim here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
