Roads Story Archives - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

Motorists Reminded To Drive Carefully In Work Zones After Mower Collision, Buckled Road

State officials are reminding motorists to drive safely and pay attention.

Road crews are taking advantage of the hot and dry conditions, and road work continues across the state, but state officials are reminding motorists to drive safely and pay attention.

A pickup truck struck a West Virginia Division of Highways mower on Interstate 79 near the Stonewood and Nutter Fort exit south of Bridgeport Wednesday morning.

Both the driver of the truck and the mower operator received serious injuries and were taken to the hospital. The driver of a third vehicle was also injured.

Five people were killed in work zone crashes on West Virginia highways in 2023. The previous year, there were 800 crashes in West Virginia work zones, killing eight people and injuring 276.

The WVDOH urges all motorists to pay attention behind the wheel, particularly when traveling through work zones.

One such work crew is making permanent repairs after excessive heat caused a section of pavement to buckle on US 119 near Julian in Boone County.

On Tuesday, that section of US 119 buckled upwards due to excessive heat. WVDOH reports the road is constructed of concrete slabs in the area.

“As temperatures rise to the levels we are currently experiencing, construction materials are directly impacted,” said Joe Pack, WVDOH Chief Engineer of Operations. “In this situation, the concrete slabs on US 119 expanded beyond the ability of the expansion joints to accommodate the movement, creating a ‘blow out.’ Specifically, the adjoining slabs created lateral pressure which could only be relieved by the slabs being forced upward. Crews responded immediately and repairs are underway.”

W.Va. DOH Says More Roads Are Being Paved, More Workers Getting Training

The West Virginia Division of Highways (DOH) relies on state employees and contract workers when getting roads paved in its 10 districts. But thanks to an emphasis on more paver training in 2020, more work has been completed in the last couple of years by state workers — and for less money than work performed by contractors.

The DOH said in a press release that in 2022, state crews paved 349 miles of roadway, which cost $44.9 million. However, only 88 miles were paved through contract paving that year, costing the state $63.7 million.

So far, in 2023, while fewer miles have been completed by state workers than contractors, there’s still a wide difference in the cost — for 48 miles of roadway by state workers, the state spent about $7.4 million compared to 105 miles paved through contractors for $34.9 million.

For perspective, in 2022, that work equaled $128,547 per mile by state workers compared to $728,814 per mile done by contractors. In 2023, so far, the cost has been $154,354 per mile by state workers versus $333,923 per mile by contractors.

While the state saves money and sees more work completed through state workers, the DOH embraces both types of work, as more roads are paved and state employees are receiving more training to meet the needs of its 10 districts.

The DOH began paver training in 2020 after new paver machines were purchased. Forty-nine DOH employees around the state have since learned how to use the equipment.

Training is conducted by the DOH’s Equipment Operator Training Academy, factory representatives from the paver manufacturer and various maintenance assistants in the state Division of Highways.

Motorists Encouraged To Be Mindful Of Motorcycle Safety

With warmer weather just around the corner, state officials are raising awareness around motorcycle safety.

Memorial Day is the unofficial start of the summer road travel season, and the Governor’s Highway Safety Program is emphasizing that “Motorcycle Safety is Everyone’s Safety”.

Unfortunately, data shows that motorcyclists are overrepresented in traffic crashes and fatalities.

In 2020, 38 motorcyclists were killed in crashes on West Virginia roads, accounting for 14 percent of all statewide traffic fatalities that year.

Safe driving and riding practices from all road users — drivers and riders alike — help reduce the number of crashes, fatalities, and injuries on our highways.

Drivers and riders alike are encouraged to drive and ride alcohol- and drug-free and to obey the speed limit.

According to data from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), alcohol impairment was a factor in 41 percent of fatal motorcycle collisions in 2020, while excessive speed was a factor in 34 percent.

Drivers are encouraged to allow more follow distance when behind a motorcycle, while riders are reminded to wear protective gear. NHTSA estimates that helmets saved the lives of 1,872 motorcyclists in 2017.

For more information about the West Virginia Governor’s Highway Safety Program, visit highwaysafety.wv.gov or call 304-926-2509.

W.Va.’s Paving Season Highlights Work Zone Safety, Zero Fatality Goal

In 2022, there were 800 crashes in West Virginia work zones, killing eight people and injuring 276. The Department of Transportation said all those crashes were avoidable.

In his Wednesday media briefing, Gov. Jim Justice said the 2023 paving season will include 126 projects statewide, covering all 55 counties.

He said more than 260 miles of highway will be resurfaced and more than 26,500 miles of roadway will be reviewed for pothole patching.

It’s a total investment of $290 million,” Justice said. “Additional miles will be added to the roadways, coupled with the larger projects that are all going on.”

Two larger West Virginia Department of Transportation (WVDOT) road and bridge rebuild projects include stretches of I-64 in Cabell and Kanawha counties.

Five Roads to Prosperity projects are scheduled to begin construction this season, including the replacement of two rural bridges.

Contractors are replacing the Philip Run Bridge in Calhoun County. Construction is also expected to replace the Middle Fork Bridge in Grant County and the bridge at Hedgesville High School in Berkeley County.

Other plans include repaving Henry Camp Road in Pleasants County, and Liverpool Road in Roane County. Contractors will also soon begin on a $15.3 million project to repave a five-mile stretch of Interstate 64 in Raleigh County, from Airport Road to the Glade Creek Bridge.

Justice pointed out the WVDOT’s interactive online road project map on the Department of Transportation website that shows all underway and pending road projects.

“Everyone can keep tabs on how much work we’ve completed and everyone can see what’s coming next,” Justice said.

The seasonal workload comes with a work zone safety goal of zero fatalities. There’s an enforcement partnership that has been formed between local, county and state law enforcement with WVDOT work zone managers. Justice said reaching the zero fatalities goal requires a police crackdown and using safe driving habits anywhere near road projects.

“Traveling up and down the road, at whatever mile an hour it may be, they are within feet of you,” Justice said. “And it’s so easy to have a catastrophe. So please be really careful.”

In 2022, there were 800 crashes in West Virginia work zones, killing eight people and injuring 276. T

he Department of Transportation said all those crashes were avoidable.

Contentious Campus Carry Bill Heads To Governor

On this episode of The Legislature Today, between the Roads to Prosperity and the federal infrastructure law, there is a lot going on when it comes to roads and bridges. Curtis Tate speaks with Transportation Secretary Jimmy Wriston and Sen. Charles Clements, R-Wetzel, the chairman of the Senate Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, to discuss the state’s progress.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, emotions ran high and the rhetoric ran long as the House of Delegates debated the contentious campus carry firearms bill. As Government Reporter Randy Yohe reports, the bill was approved in the chamber and is now on its way to the governor.

Also, between the Roads to Prosperity and the federal infrastructure law, there is a lot going on when it comes to roads and bridges. Curtis Tate speaks with Transportation Secretary Jimmy Wriston and Sen. Charles Clements, R-Wetzel, the chairman of the Senate Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, to discuss the state’s progress.

Tuesday was Recovery Advocacy Day at the West Virginia Legislature, the capitol rotunda filled with smiling faces, clear heads and hopeful hearts. The goal was to identify areas related to treatment, prevention and recovery efforts and lobby for important legislation. Randy Yohe has this story.

A bill meant to staff each West Virginia hospital with a qualified sexual assault nurse examiner passed the Senate unanimously and is headed to the governor’s desk. Appalachia Health News Reporter Emily Rice has more.

Finally, the Senate took up a bill that would change how and how much counties pay for inmates they send to the state’s correctional system. Chris Schulz has more.

Having trouble viewing the video below? Click here to watch it on YouTube.

The Legislature Today is West Virginia’s only television/radio simulcast devoted to covering the state’s 60-day regular legislative session.

Watch or listen to new episodes Monday through Friday at 6 p.m. on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

Funding Granted For Berkeley Springs Bypass Road Completion

The funding was officially awarded to A.L.L. Construction Dec. 21, totaling nearly $35 million.

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.