MORGANTOWN, W.Va. The West Virginia Department of Highways (DOH) has awarded an $8 million widening project on Van Voorhis Road to Mountaineer Contractors. On WAJR’s Talk of the Town,” Deputy Highway Engineer for the DOH, Joe Pack, said the project runs from Chestnut Ridge Road to West Run and includes bridge replacement at West Run.
“It will widen the road to three lanes,” Pack said. “What they will do is add 12-foot-wide lanes, so you’ll have 36 feet of roadway with paved shoulders or a sidewalk.”
Monongalia County motorists will begin to see construction activity on the project in the fall of 2023. According to Pack, the work will likely be off the roadway and in the right-of-way area.
But the schedule is subject to change.
“We’re hoping we can begin some work before the weather catches us and most construction ends,” Pack said. A lot of construction can continue through the winter months, but some cannot.”
In addition to widening, more capacity will be added for the turn lanes to increase traffic flow, as will an alignment correction of Van Voorhis Road and between Clearview Avenue and the Morgantown Health and Rehabilitation Center entrance. The project is a little less than a mile long and includes a five foot sidewalk for pedestrian traffic.
“The turning lanes in that area are not adequate for the amount of traffic that’s there,” Pack said. “So, we’re also lengthening the storage of that turn lane, so more cars can move into the turn lane and not back up the main flow of traffic.
Pack said good drainage helps roads have a long, healthy service life, and it’s always a top priority. This project will include an updated system to better handle rainfall and runoff.
“We will be installing new drainage structures that are designed to not clog as fast and handle larger rains if necessary,”Pack said. It’s one of the first things we look at on any project.”
There are no plans for complete closures during the project, but motorists can expect congestion and extra time to get through the area. Pack asks motorists to watch for workers and construction equipment and slow down.
“There are no plans for the project to have an actual road closure,” Pack said. “Traffic will be able to flow, although somewhat slowed and affected; however, it is our goal to slow those interruptions as much as we can.”
The project is expected to be complete in late 2024.