By: Lydia Crawley
The Parsons Advocate
The Corridor H Highway Authority released the latest update on the current and future statues of the Corridor H construction project from the West Virginia Division of Highways. The information, according the Authority, was presented to the Joint Legislative Oversight Commission on Department of Transportation Accountability on December 8th.
In the update, the Parsons to Davis stretch of the Highway is expected to be a 9.2 mile run with construction anticipated to begin in 2027 at a cost of $800 million. By what the map shows, the path chosen appears to be from Parsons to Davis along a route south of the existing Highway 219 to Thomas.
The Kerens to Parsons portion of the project has several phases outlined beginning with the Kerens – U.S. 219 Connector. The Connector is a 7.7 mile stretch of road anticipated to be competed in the winter of 2025 at an anticipated cost of $264 million.
The Kerens – WV 72 VC – Paving project is a 7.7 mile phase anticipated to be completed in the winter of 2025 at a cost of $33 million.
The U.S. 219 Connector – WV 72 VC is a 3.75 mile section with an anticipated completion date of winter 2025 a cost of $175 million.
The U.S, 219 – WV 72 VC – Paving is a 3.75 project with an anticipated completion date of winter 2025 at a cost of $23 million.
The Cheat River Bridge spans .94 miles at a cost of $148 million and is anticipated to be completed in the summer of 2026.
WV 72 VC – Parsons is a 2.6 mile section anticipated to be complete in the summer of 2026 at a cost of $57 million.
The Roaring Run Bridge spans .3 miles at a cost of $78 million and is anticipated to be completed in late 2027.
The Mackeyville Interchange has not yet begun construction, but will be a .6 mile project at a cost of $40 million with an anticipated completion date of late 2027.
Wardensville to the Virginia State Line is anticipated to begin construction in early 2026. The design is complete, the report said and the right of way process is underway. Completion of the section is anticipated in late 2030 at a cost of $542 million.
Currently, 1-79 from Weston to Kerens has 40.8 miles of Corridor H open to traffic at a cost of $395 million expended, according to the report.
Kerens to Parsons is currently under construction with 15 miles anticipated to have the complete section done by late 2027. $778 million has been committed, the report said, with $40 million to complete.
The Parsons to Davis section is a nine-mile section that will have design anticipated in the fall of 2026, according to the report. The right of way process is anticipated to begin in the fall of 2028 with construction to follow in early 2031 with completion anticipated in late 2034. A cost of $800 million is anticipated for completion.
Davis to Wardensville has 60 miles of road open to traffic at a cost of $1.083 billion expended, according to the report.
Wardensville to the Virginia State Line will be a seven mile section that has the design phase complete, according the report. The right of way process is underway and construction is anticipated to begin in winter of 2025. A completion date of late 2030 is anticipated at a cost of $542 million to complete.
