MORGANTOWN – Despite Morgantown City Council opting not to take a stance on proposed changes to the intersection of W.Va. 7 (Earl L Core Road) and CR 857 (Green Bag Road), in Sabraton, major alterations to the intersection are coming.
“There was a consensus between the DOH, MPO, the city engineer and other people, we think we’ve addressed the issues as best we can and we will recommend that the project move forward,” Division of Highways District 4 Engineer Don Williams told WAJR’s Morgantown AM.
More than a dozen residents from the Norwood and Jerome Park neighborhoods addressed city council Tuesday night, opposing the proposal that would eliminate a connector between Hardee’s and Woodburn Shanks, linking Sabraton Avenue and W.Va. 7. Williams explained the connector hampers traffic flow along W.Va. 7, a corridor that over 18,500 vehicles per day use.
“Is it perfect? There is not a perfect plan. But it is a reasonable, justifiable plan? Yes, it is,” said Williams.
A resolution supporing the proposed plan was before city council Tuesday night but council voted 6-0 to take no action on the resolution with the understanding it ultimately would not have an impact on how the DOH would proceed.
“The bottom line is that if we don’t do something to this corridor and try to upgrade it and make it more efficient it will become a parking lot,” asserted to Williams.
According to the DOH’s traffic study, it currently takes nine minutes to travel the 1.4 miles from Hartman Run Road to Interstate 68 during peak traffic. The study suggests that if the intersection is left unaltered, travel time could jump to 15 minutes. It also indicated that with the proposed changes to the corridor, travel time could be reduced to six mintues.
The DOH’s plans call for, right-in, right-out access between the connector and W.Va. 7 to allow access to Hardee’s and Woodburn Shanks. The connector’s intersection with Sabraton Avenue will be closed to traffic using a traversable curb that will be passable for emergency vehicles only.
Williams added that funding, plans and necessary rights of way are already in place for the project to proceed.