10/21/2010
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Gov. Joe Manchin today announced that the Moorefield to Foreman section of Corridor H (Route 33) is nearing completion and will be opening up for traffic as early as next week. The governor has asked Department of Transportation Cabinet Secretary Paul Mattox to accelerate the remaining work left on this14-mile section of the corridor for public access.
The state Dept. of Transportation is down to its few remaining assignments that will complete the Moorefield to Foreman section of the corridor. That work includes installing guardrails, posting signage and mile-markers along the highway.
“The state continues to fulfill its pledge toward the successful completion of Corridor H and I am pleased that we now have another section that will soon be available for traffic,” Gov. Manchin said. “For decades, Corridor H has been recognized as a means to advance our state’s future economic growth and an added segment to tourism, which is why the state is committed to making sure that this project continues to move as swiftly as possible. We will continue to dedicate the work and resources necessary to complete each remaining phase.”
Corridor H is the last corridor in West Virginia still under construction. Last month, the governor announced that construction of the Davis to Bismarck section of Corridor H will be completed by 2013, which is five years ahead of the original scheduled completion date.
“Currently, nearly 30 miles of the corridor are under construction. We have an economic window to advance the construction of this highway and it is prudent to capitalize on it,” Transportation Secretary Paul Mattox said. “By doing so, we will have not only saved the taxpayers’ money and spur economic development and tourism from the Mid-Atlantic cities, but more importantly, we will have provided the citizens of the Potomac Highlands the highway they were promised so many years ago.”
The current Moorefield to Foreman project includes the paving of approximately 14 miles from the South Branch Bridge in Moorefield (Hardy County) to Knobley Road in Foreman (Grant County) at a cost of $50.5 million.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony is slated for Wednesday of next week to mark the completion of this project.
Ribbon-cutting details are as follows:
The ceremony has been scheduled for Wednesday, October 27, at 1:30 p.m. The event staging site will be on the new section of Corridor H in the west bound lane at the Patterson Creek exit. Traveling west on Corridor H from Moorefield the site is approximately 10 miles from Moorefield. Traveling from Petersburg to the site, event attendees should take County Route 5 (Patterson Creek Road) and enter the Corridor parking in the east bound lanes. Division of Highways personnel will be on site to direct parking.
Contact Information
Melvin Smith
304-558-2000