Editor,
“You don’t miss your water ’til your well runs dry”
As our community decides about the best route for Corridor H, I have decided the GoNorth route, or something similar, is the best choice. Here’s why.
I have always believed the Appalachian corridor system benefits West Virginia and the country, helping move goods in and out, and making transportation easier for all of us. The shortened trip to Dulles airport is a godsend to anyone here who travels or has family far away.
As soon as the road was finished to Davis it brought a new wave of tourism from the east. Both towns experienced an explosion of new businesses and commercial activity. Property values have risen and dead seasons have gotten shorter. We are seeing new construction for the first time in years. You can feel the new energy in the towns, and it can be wonderful.
But it has also brought more congestion, more pressure on public services and a greater awareness of how vulnerable we are without adequate police and emergency presence on the mountaintop. Our tiny communities can barely keep up, and for many locals the changes are not welcome.
Connecting the road will bring a similar wave of traffic from Ohio and points west. Ultimately that will mean more trucks barreling cross country, and more visitors. It will also mean more noise, more traffic, more crime and possibly more drugs.
Interstate highways are notorious conduits for drug distribution, as people along I-81 learned when hydrocodone flooded towns up and down the Shenandoah Valley. They were not prepared for it, and neither are we.
The planned route between the towns will place a sprawling interchange on the very edge of Davis. It will bring noise to Douglas and Coketon. It will bring light and sound like we have not experienced here in recent memory.
Anyone who wakes early and looks up at the Milky Way and hears an owl or maybe a coyote will be affected. It will never be the same. We will miss our peace and quiet and safety whether we know it or not.
There is a reason why tourists come here now, and it’s not just because of shops or restaurants. It’s because our air is fresh, our skies are dark and we are surrounded by extraordinary natural beauty. We have something here that is very precious, and visitors know it even if we don’t.
If the road must be built, if it is truly essential for the national economy, then put it where it will have the least impact on the people who live here now. If it takes years to figure it out, then so be it. We’ve got plenty of tourists right now, and we’ve got to take the time to get this right.
Susan Moore
Thomas, WV