Associated Press Published

Corridor H Could Be Finished by 2020

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 Local leaders say the state could complete Corridor H by 2020 if it used a public-private partnership to finance the work.

Business, community and economic development officials urged Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin and the Department of Transportation on Tuesday to implement a public-private partnership plan. They issued the call at a roadside news conference near Kerns.

Recent estimates of federal funding allocations indicate Corridor H will be completed by 2036. Corridor H Authority chair Robbie Morris says that’s too far in the future.

Corridor H is the only section of the Appalachian Corridor system that hasn’t been finished. When it is completed, it will connect Interstate 79 near Weston with the junction of Interstates 81 and 66 in Front Royal, Virginia.