Tag: Interstate 79

August 2, 1991: Interstate 68 Completed from Interstate 79

On August 2, 1991, Interstate 68 was completed from Interstate 79 eastward through Monongalia and Preston counties into Maryland. The new expressway linked Morgantown to Hancock, Maryland, and connected northern West Virginia with Baltimore and Washington via I-70. I-68 was an upgrade to Route 48, which was completed in the 1970s as Corridor E. The Appalachian Corridor System was a ‘60s-era project by the Appalachian Regional Commission to tie together rural sections of Appalachia.

I-68 is West Virginia’s most recent addition to the interstate highway system. The entire process started as the brainchild of President Dwight Eisenhower, who’d witnessed the efficiency of Germany’s Autobahn highways during World War II. Eisenhower launched a mammoth construction project to connect every state with high-speed expressways. West Virginia voters committed their share of funding by passing nearly $1 billion worth of road-building amendments in 1969 and 1973.

Today, the West Virginia interstate system includes I-68; I-77, from Bluefield to Williamstown; I-64, which runs through Huntington and Charleston; I-79, connecting Charleston with Morgantown; and short stretches of I-70 in Ohio County and I-81 in Berkeley County.

Public Meetings Set on Two W.Va. Highway Projects

  The West Virginia Division of Highways is holding public meetings this week on two road projects.

An informational workshop on the proposed Inwood Bypass is scheduled from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Monday in the cafeteria at Musselman High School in Inwood.

On Tuesday, the DOH will hold an informational workshop on improvements to the Interstate 79 Weston interchange with U.S. 33. The meeting is scheduled from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Peterson-Central Elementary School in Weston.

The public can ask questions and submit verbal and written comments about the projects at the meetings.

Written comments also can be submitted to the DOH in Charleston. The comment deadline for the bypass project is Jan. 8. The deadline for the interchange project is Jan. 9.

Improvised Explosive Devices, Chickens, Marijuana Found in I-79 Crash

West Virginia State Police say altered fireworks, weapons, chickens and marijuana were found inside an SUV that wrecked on Interstate 79, and the driver from Pennsylvania has been arrested.

Police say a Ford Explorer carrying dozens of chickens flipped in Roane County about 3:30 a.m. Friday.

West Virginia Metro News reports that State Police have arrested and charged Seth Grim, 21 of Emmaus, Pennsylvania, with possession with intent to distribute marijuana. State Police spokesman Sgt. Michael Baylous says additional charges are pending.

Grim suffered minor injuries and was transported by ambulance to Charleston Area Medical Center and then taken into custody. He is being held at South Central Regional Jail. 

WOWK-TV reports a dog tried to jump out of the window of Grim’s vehicle, which may have caused the accident. Unfortunately, the dog was killed in the accident.

According to the Charleston Gazette, Grimm was on the run from authorities in Pennsylvania. Grim also told police he is a “sovereign citizen” — part of a movement that generally rejects federal laws and taxation.

The crash closed Interstate 79 in both directions near Amma for more than four hours before reopening.

Reaction from the public:

The bizarre circumstances surrounding the crash has elicited various reactions from the public. Here are a few tweets from West Virginians and reporters about the incident:

I couldn’t help but poll Twitter to ask for other scenarios that would make bizarre news. Here are a few responses: 

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