Design work to begin for Mon County water, sewer extension to the west

MONONGALIA COUNTY, W.Va. – The Monongalia County Commission, WestRidge, and the Morgantown Utility Board (MUB) have announced plans to push forward with $14 million in water and sewer upgrades to the western end of the county.

Monongalia County Commission president Tom Bloom said all parties have agreed to have E. L. Robinson Engineering begin the design work.

“We believe by moving forward on this we can get this done by the end of 2024,” Bloom said.  “That will bring up the capacity we’ve been wanting in that area.”

Earlier this year, MUB officials announced robust growth in the area over the past few years and that water and sewer upgrades would have to be completed before additional major projects could be added to the system.

Prior to that announcement, WestRidge had fifty acres of land ready for development and could easily expand that to 200 acres over time. The average private annual investment in WestRidge properties is about $40 million, according to president Ryan Lynch.

“We can now see a light at the end of the tunnel that, once this capacity is built, we’ll be able to bring in more development,” Bloom said. “Whether it’s for business or homes, more will be accessing the western end of the county.”

The project will include a new water tank and booster station, and new water and sewer lines will have to be bored under the Monongahela River.

The Monongalia County Commission, Morgantown Utility Board (MUB), and WestRidge each agreed to pay about $3.6 million, with the balance coming from a grant from the West Virginia Water Development Authority.

“We now can show those investors that it is happening and that it will happen within a certain time period,” Bloom said. “That is a big selling point for our community.”

Also on the radar is the proposed upgrade of exit 155 to a diverging diamond and a four-lane corridor between Mylan Park and Morgantown. The design is expected to reduce congestion at Monongahela Boulevard and Chaplin Road for rush-hour commuters and high-capacity events at Mylan Park and on the WVU campus.

“We are going to continue to meet with the DOH; we’re trying to get some clarifications, and we are meeting with WestRidge Wednesday to get more updates on where we are with exit 155,” Bloom said.