MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The state Division of Highways (DOH) will hear public comment on the next phase of Green Bag Road improvements Tuesday evening. The projects to be discussed are the proposed improvements from Deckers Creek Boulevard to Luckey Lane and from Don Knotts Boulevard to Mississippi Street.

Executive Director of Communications for the DOH, Brent Walker, said the improvements are needed due to increased traffic caused by regional growth. In addition to safety improvements for motorists, the project includes connections to the existing trail system and improved pedestrian access.

“We’re just trying to make Green Bag Road safer and more accessible to traffic and to bicycles and pedestrians,” Walker said.

The meeting at the Mountainview Elementary School near the intersection of Green Bag Road and Luckey Lane is from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Walker said the meeting will be an open forum with no formal presentation, but plenty of opportunities to talk to people from the DOH, Federal Highways Administration, and the Monongalia Morgantown Metropolitan Planning Organization (MMMPO).

“It will be an opportunity for the public to come in and learn more about this widening project,” Walker said.

The proposed project will include connections to the rail-trail that will make the corridor a multimodal zone, dedicating portions of the right-of-way to accommodate bicyclists and walkers.

“They are becoming more prevalent, and they really have to be in terms of the requirements for the monies that we receive,” Walker said.

The current project on Green Bag Road awarded to Mountaineer Contractors in December 2024 at a contract amount of about $18.3 million includes roundabouts at Dorsey Avenue and Mississippi Street. Right-of-way challenges in the court continue to delay the start of work.

Walker said the design for the phase to be discussed Tuesday night is still under consideration. The Tuesday meeting is an opportunity for residents to make their concerns clear to the team putting the project together.

“They are safer, they are more efficient, and they get rid of left-hand turns, which are never great because you’re turning into traffic,” Walker said.

The improvements have been under consideration for many years as the area has continued to grow. Once complete, officials believe the improvement will provide an alternative to truck traffic that currently uses downtown streets.

“As Morgantown continues to grow and traffic on Green Bag Road continues to increase, there is an increased need,” Walker said.

Following the meeting, comments can be submitted here or via email to douglas.w.kirk@wv.gov. Comments can also be mailed to DOH Technical Support Division Director Doug Kirk at 1900 Kanawha Blvd. East, Building 5, Room 820, Charleston, WV 25305.

The DOH will accept comments on this project until December 19.