MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The West Virginia Division of Highways appears to have mixed public support on planned improvements for a heavily used roadway that leads into Morgantown.
Engineers and project designers for the three alternate proposals for the improvements on Greenbag Road were hosted at Mountainview Elementary School on Tuesday, where 95 different residents who live around the planned road expansion were in attendance. WV DOH Assistant Director of Engineering Dirar Ahmad spoke with residents who gave varying opinions ranging from an outright cancellation of the project to potentially adjusting different portions of the over 3.5 miles’ worth of improvements. Monongalia County Senator Mike Oliverio and a representative from Congressman Riley Moore’s office were among those in attendance.
“I thought it went very well, the attendance is great, we’ve had a lot of attendance from all walks of life,” said Ahmad. “People who drive this corridor, who live along this corridor, so I’m very, very, very pleased with the turnout.”
The project itself consists of approximately 3.55 miles of what is primarily a two-lane roadway with plans to add a combination of left turn lanes and roundabouts on Greenbag Road. All three alternates presented included the installation of a left turn lane and traffic signal at the intersection of US Route 119 on the western end of Greenbag Road with an expansion of the road for two 12′ lanes with two 4′ paved shoulders. One alternate included the reconstruction to include an “off-road” independent multi-use path. The aim for all three proposals presented on Wednesday it to account for an average of 11,500 vehicles per day while also allowing for easy pedestrian access towards the Mountaineer Mall and the Giant Eagle grocery store located nearby.
“It will improve the horizontal and vertical alignment so it makes the road safer,” said Ahmad. “We’re widening the shoulder, putting shoulders sometimes, this helps mobility, helps safety, anytime you widen the lane, you improve the curvature of the road.”
For residents who voiced varying levels of opposition, improvements around the west and east ends were mostly positive, with an almost unanimous agreement on feedback on certain additions proposed by the DOH, with specific concerns focused on additions included in the over $18.3 million in proposed work that impacts property. While support for left turn signal installation at the intersection of US-119 was almost universal and roundabouts proposed towards Deckers Creek Boulevard were not mentioned, portions of the proposal that account for three religious organizations were pointed out as issues, particularly when all three deal with traffic at the same time. A portion of the proposal that is expected to lead to more vocal opposition in the near future.
“This original part—there’s a road behind Mountain View Elementary that is a private road, some of the road work they’re going to do is going to force traffic that way,” said Harvest Family Worship Pastor Kevin Summers, who expressed concern about some portions of the project. “They should not be able to force traffic that way because of delays and things, common driving habits—they’re going to take the path of least resistance.”
The most vocal residents discussed the emphasis on the need to adjust the initial proposal for roundabouts at Dorsey Avenue and Mississippi Street, which are currently under dispute due to right-of-way challenges. The three alternate options only included the addition of a widened shared use path on Greenbag Road around the Dorsey Avenue intersection, which is expected to affect ten parcels of land. For residents who have had ongoing disputes over plans to either construct a roundabout or install a left-hand turning lane at the intersection of Dorsey Avenue, there appears to be continued vocal support that included 1,700 expressions of opposition that took place as part of a public hearing earlier this year.
“There’s a way to do this, and it’s not egregious, and so we’re still pushing for turning lanes till the end,” said Greenbag Road resident Jennifer Hastings, whose family has been very vocal about the center portion of the project. “We offered land to the DOH for turning lanes, and we’re still hoping that we can work together and figure something out.”
For the representatives of the DOH that were in attendance, the plan is to continue studies on the proposed overhaul of Greenbag Road throughout 2026 with plans to begin the design phase in 2027. If the decision is ultimately made to move forward with the contract awarded to Mountaineer Contractors in December 2024, the work will allow for both an expanded corridor for what is expected to be a continued growing population as well as options for pedestrians to walk safely to businesses with direct community need. The hope is that the feedback from area residents will continue as the study phase remains ongoing.
“Even if they couldn’t make it, they can still give us their opinion, their input,” said Ahmad. “They don’t have to agree with us, but once they are informed and understand the purpose and need of the project, the positive impact on them and their communities, we understand that they will support it.”