Tag: Corridor H

Justice Highlights Closure Of Parsons Pharmacy

On Monday, Gov. Jim Justice sent an open letter to the president of Walgreens urging the company to reconsider their decision to close their location in Parsons, Tucker County.

Gov. Jim Justice is drawing attention to the planned closure of a pharmacy in the state. 

On Monday, the governor sent an open letter to the president of Walgreens urging the company to reconsider their decision to close their location in Parsons, Tucker County.

In the letter, Justice said Mayor Bruce Kolsum “expressed deep distress over the impact” of the closure and that the manager of the Walgreens in question was unaware of the decision until recently.

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During his weekly media briefing, Justice reiterated the impact the sudden closure will have on the community just as it is poised to connect to Corridor H.

“This community needs a Walgreens and needs a Walgreens really bad,” Justice said. “I’m gonna do everything I possibly can to try to urge the folks at Walgreens to keep it there, because I do believe that it will be tremendously successful going forward.”

Walgreens announced earlier this year it plans to close 150 locations across the country by August 2024.

Asked later in the briefing how he plans to address the closure, which may happen as soon as Dec. 14, Justice said he did not have an immediate solution.

“I really don’t know how we fill the void from a private entity closing, and I don’t know how we do that,” he said. 

Justice once again highlighted Parsons’ proximity to the Corridor H currently under construction. 

“This is a nationwide program that they’re closing down so many Walgreens across the nation and everything,” Justice said. “They ought to absolutely pay really close attention to the fact that a major artery in this nation is going right through the middle of this town.” 

WVDOH To Hold Public Meeting On Corridor H In Hardy County

This is the section of the four-lane highway that ends at the Virginia state line, with no immediate plans by Virginia officials to build the road to connect with Interstate 81.

One of the two remaining pieces of Corridor H will be the subject of a public meeting.

The West Virginia Division of Highways (WVDOH) will make a public presentation about a seven-mile section of Corridor H in Wardensville in Hardy County on Thursday.

This is the section of the four-lane highway that ends at the Virginia state line, with no immediate plans by Virginia officials to build the road to connect with Interstate 81.

Still, the road is one of the top priorities for state leaders. Most of it is complete, except for the nine miles from Parsons to Davis and the seven miles east of Wardensville.

The Parsons to Davis section is the most controversial. Community and environmental groups have pushed for a northern route with fewer impacts, while the state prefers a southern route.

Thursday’s meeting will take place from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the War Memorial Building on Main Street in Wardensville.

Division Of Highways To Consider Alternative Route For Corridor H

The West Virginia Division of Highways will take a second look at a northern route for a 10-mile section of Corridor H from Davis to Parsons.

The current WVDOH preferred route splits the towns of Davis and Thomas and crosses the Blackwater Canyon.

Community activists say the northern route avoids those impacts. Additionally, the southern route crosses what’s believed to be the habitat of the endangered Northern Long-Eared Bat.

A Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for the project is due later this year. Construction is scheduled to begin next year at a projected cost of $467 million.

Corridor H is one of the biggest highway projects in the state. Most of it is complete.

In addition to the portion from Davis to Parsons, a 7-mile section from Wardensville to the Virginia state line has yet to begin construction.

Transportation Secretary Jimmy Wriston had said previously that the state would not consider routing the highway north of Thomas.

Work Begins On New Section Of Corridor H Between Kerens And Parsons

Contractors will move 7 million cubic yards of earth by the time the project is completed in 2025 at a cost of $49.5 million.

State officials broke ground on a new section of Corridor H in Hardy County on Friday.

Gov. Jim Justice and Transportation Secretary Jimmy Wriston kicked off construction on a three-mile portion of Corridor H between Kerens and Parsons.

Contractors will move seven million cubic yards of earth by the time the project is completed in 2025 at a cost of $49.5 million.

Construction on the highway has been ongoing for decades. About $2 billion has been spent on it, and another $1 billion will be required to complete the road.

Some residents and environmental groups oppose the route of the highway to the south of Thomas, where it would come close to Blackwater Falls State Park.

But Wriston has said his department is pushing forward.

About 100 miles of the 132-mile road are open to traffic.

Corridor H Parsons To Davis Comment Period Is Extended

Appalachian Mountain Advocates, a law firm that’s fought mountaintop removal mining, requested a 45-day extension from the original public comment deadline of Dec. 12.

The West Virginia Division of Highways and the Federal Highway Administration have extended the comment period for the Parsons-to-Davis section of Corridor H to Jan. 6, 2023.

Appalachian Mountain Advocates, a law firm that’s fought mountaintop removal mining, requested a 45-day extension from the original public comment deadline of Dec. 12.

Environmental groups oppose the state’s preferred routing of Corridor H between the two Tucker County communities because of its proximity to the Blackwater Canyon.

They’ve been pushing for a northern alternative around the community of Thomas.

The DOH has said its preferred route is less expensive to build and more direct.

Corridor H is a top priority for the state’s leading elected officials. The road has a few gaps left to complete from I-79 to the Virginia border, including the Parsons-to-Davis portion.

To comment on the project, follow this link.

Public Comment On Corridor H, Parsons To Davis, Ends Monday

The segment is one of three remaining in West Virginia to complete the road, which is part of the Appalachian Development Highway System.

Public comment on the 10-mile Parsons to Davis portion of Corridor H is due Monday, Dec. 12.

The segment is one of three remaining in West Virginia to complete the road, which is part of the Appalachian Development Highway System.

Finishing the highway is a top priority for state and local officials. When completed, it will connect I-79 in West Virginia to I-81 in Virginia.

The other two sections include a portion currently under construction from Parsons to Elkins, and another from Wardensville to the Virginia border, which has yet to be designed.

The Parsons to Davis segment is the most contested. The proposed route passes through Blackwater Falls State Park south of Thomas. The park draws 1 million visitors a year.

Opponents are pushing for a northern route around Thomas that avoids the park.

Those wishing to comment can follow this link.

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