West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin III, along with Transportation Secretary Paul Mattox, and other state, federal, and local leaders were on hand for the opening of the newest section of Corridor H, Bismarck Connector at WV 93 to Scherr Connector at WV 93, Friday, November 22 at 12:30 p.m. The celebration took place at a scenic overlook on the new road, two miles west of the WV 93 Connector at Scherr. Members of the public were on hand to welcome this new stretch of roadway.
Senator Manchin invoked the memory of the late president John F. Kennedy on the 50th anniversary of his assassination. Manchin said that Kennedy owed a debt to the state of West Virginia for helping him get elected. And, he followed, the people of West Virginia owe a debt to the late president for his work in opening up the state with infrastructure. He also exacted a promise from Secretary Mattox that Corridor H would reach Davis in less than two years, which received cheers from the audience.
“Opening this section of roadway highlights years of aggressive work by many organizations to finish Corridor H as quickly as possible, stated Secretary Mattox. Since 2010, approximately 50 miles have been opened to traffic thanks to the leadership and support of the late Senator Byrd, Governor Tomblin, Senators Rockefeller and Manchin, and Congresswoman Capito. I am proud to join them to celebrate this great achievement for the citizens of the Potomac Highlands and the State of West Virginia.”
The 4.7 mile section between Bismarck and the Scherr WV 93 Connector comes at a cost of $65 million, and makes complete, the Bismarck to Wardensville section, totaling nearly 49 miles. A 16.2 mile section from Davis to Bismarck is currently under construction, with a Fall 2014/2015 completion date, bringing the total mileage of Corridor H open or under construction to nearly 108 miles, or over 76% completed.
