Skip to main content

WV will sign Corridor H as US 48

Adam Froehlig recently did a scouting roadtrip to check on the status of Corridor H through West Virginia. And according to his blog report, WV has installed US 48 shields on parts of the unopened highway around Moorefield.

"I can confirm that there's a US 48 reassurance shield posted westbound just before the bridge, as well as a distance sign showing mileage to Bismark, Davis, and Elkins."

US 48 will be the designation for Corridor H from I-81 near Strasburg, VA to Interstate 79 in Weston, WV. Currently, Virginia has signed US 48 from I-81 to the state line. How far WV signs US 48 (whether along WV 55 and then on Corridor H and then on various routes to Elkins and along US 33 to Weston) and if it will truncate WV 55 is yet to be seen.

Comments

Brian Powell said…
Given West Virginia's penchant for long useless multiplexes (see current WV 55, WV 28, WV 92, and WV 97 for examples), my guess is that WV 55 will stay as it exists now once US 48 gets extended to this new Corridor H stretch. The only way I see this changing in the near-term would be if VDOT decided to truncate VA 55 back to I-81.

As far as I can tell, the strategy for the current WV 55 routing is to provide a through route from Elkins to Virginia and to connect the Highland Scenic Highway to major access points at US 19 and Elkins. That the entire route is WV 55 is coincidental; it just so happened that both paths end at Elkins so WVDOH just decided to reuse the number.

With that in mind, I wouldn't be surprised if WVDOH cuts WV 55 back to Elkins once the new Corridor H becomes the preferred through routing over US 33/WV 28 between Elkins and Moorefield. That's still a long ways off, though.

Popular posts from this blog

North Carolina Continues to Move Forward with Rail

2023 and the first half of 2024 have seen continued growth in North Carolina's passenger rail system.  From increased daily trains from Raleigh to Charlotte, federal funds for studying additional corridors, and receiving a historic grant to begin the construction of high-speed rail between Raleigh and Richmond, the last 18 months have been a flurry of activity at NCDOT's Rail Division.  And that's just the tip of the iceberg. As ridership and routes increase - the engine of North Carolina passenger rail trains will become a more common sight. (Adam Prince) Increased Passenger Train Service: On July 10, 2023, a fourth Piedmont round-trip rail service between Raleigh and Charlotte commenced.  The four Piedmont trains plus the daily Carolinian (to Washington, DC, and New York) bring the total of trains serving the two cities daily to five. The current daily Piedmont and Carolinian schedule between Charlotte and Raleigh (NCDOT) The result was over 641,000 passengers utilized pa

The Midway Palm and Pine of US Route 99

Along modern day California State Route 99 south of Avenue 11 just outside the City limits of Madera one can find the Midway Palm and Pine in the center median of the freeway.  The Midway Palm and Pine denotes the halfway point between the Mexican Border and Oregon State Line on what was US Route 99.  The Midway Palm is intended to represent Southern California whereas the Midway Pine is intended to represent Northern California.  Pictured above the Midway Palm and Pine can be seen from the northbound lanes of the California State Route 99 Freeway.   This blog is part of the larger Gribblenation US Route 99 Page.  For more information pertaining to the other various segments of US Route 99 and it's three-digit child routes check out the link the below. Gribblenation US Route 99 Page The history of the Midway Palm and Pine The true timeframe for when the Midway Palm and Pine (originally a Deadora Cedar Tree) were planted is unknown.  In fact, the origin of the Midway Palm and Pine w

US Route 101 in Benbow, Garberville and Redway

The communities of Benbow, Garberville and Redway can all be found along US Route 101 within southern Humboldt County.  The former surface alignment of US Route 101 in Garberville and Redway once crossed the Garberville Bluffs along what is now Redwood Drive via a corridor constructed as part of the Redwood Highway during the 1910s.  US Route 101 through Benbow, Garberville and Redway was modernized by 1935.  US Route 101 would eventually be upgraded to freeway standards in Benbow, Garberville and Redway by extension of the Redwood Freeway during 1966-68.  As the cover photo the original grade of US Route 101 and the Redwood Highway can be seen at the Garberville Bluffs during 1934.  US Route 101 can be seen in the communities of Benbow, Garberville and Redway on the 1935 Division of Highways Map of Humboldt County .   The history of US Route 101 in Benbow, Garberville and Redway Benbow, Garberville and Redway lie on the banks of the South Fork Eel River of southern Humboldt County.  D