More funding from the state is going towards the completion of the Berkeley Springs Bypass in Morgan County.
The funding was officially awarded to A.L.L. Construction Dec. 21, totaling nearly $35 million.
The road’s construction is part of Gov. Jim Justice’s Roads to Prosperity program. The bypass is designed to divert traffic congestion on U.S. Route 522, which goes through Berkeley Springs. An initial $60 million in funding for the project was granted in 2020.
A 2020 release from Justice’s office says Route 522 sees 13,400 vehicles per day, with approximately 30 percent of those vehicles being trucks. The other purpose of the bypass is to make downtown Berkeley Springs safer for other drivers and pedestrians.
The project will see three-and-a-half miles of a four-lane highway completed in Morgan County from Winchester Grade Road south of Berkeley Springs to state Route 9. This round of funding will connect the northern section of the bypass with Route 522 north of the town, adding two bridges and a connecting road to War Memorial Hospital along the way.
The completed project will include three bridges, three at-grade intersections and a diamond interchange on Route 9.