Curtis Tate Published

Public Can Comment On Corridor H Parsons To Davis Until March 27

A four-lane highway, viewed from an overpass, winds through the mountains with clouds and sun.
A section of Corridor H near Moorefield that's open to traffic.
Curtis Tate/West Virginia Public Broadcasting
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The public has a week left to comment on a controversial segment of Corridor H.

The Federal Highway Administration is accepting comment on the Parsons to Davis portion of the long-planned highway until March 27.

The agency intends to prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement on the nine-mile section of the corridor.

The West Virginia Division of Highways prefers a southern route, while some residents and community groups favor a northern route they say would have less environmental impact.

Most of the 130-mile road is complete. About seven miles of the road from Wardensville to the Virginia state line is set to begin construction this year.

The corridor is one of the biggest economic development priorities for the state’s elected leaders. It’s a piece of the Appalachian Development Highway System, created in 1965 as part of President Lyndon Johnson’s War on Poverty.

A budget bill Congress approved earlier this month includes $12.5 million to help complete the portion of Corridor H east of Wardensville.

Comment on the project here.