Finding the money to build Corridor H has been similar to a teenager trying to save his allowance for a new car, something he may be able to drive across the completed stretch of road about the time he is ready to retire.
Despite more than $21 million being pumped into the highway fund by the controversial federal stimulus package, it will still be more than a quarter of a century before the highway connecting Interstate 79 near Weston to Interstate 81 near Strasburg, Va., is completed.
"We are running our regular program concurrent with the stimulus package," said Brent Walker, a spokesman for the West Virginia Department of Transportation. "The stimulus package is not taking the place of anything. It's important when we pick and choose our projects that we make sure we can build usable pieces of road."
The stimulus money will be used to build two bridges in Grant County, one spanning state Route 93 and the other over Grant County Route 1. Both are in the Greenland Gap region near Scherr and are part of the Bismarck to Forman segment of the project.
The Forman to Moorefield stretch of Corridor H is expected to be open in the fall of 2010.
"The Grant County Development Authority is excited about the possibility of moving forward with Corridor H," said William Ross, the director of the Grant County Development Authority. "The road is all about connections through transportation. This road will connect us to the expanding northern Virginia market to the east, and also to the northern section of our own county, Mount Storm, and then on to the western parts of the state and our capital via Interstate 79."
A grade-and-drain contract was awarded in December, Walker said. The work would cover a 2.1-mile stretch just west of Bismarck in Grant County.
The final design is underway for the 16.2-mile stretch from Bismarck to the Tucker County town of Davis.
An industrial park is planned for the Mount Storm area, and Ross is hopeful that interest in the land will spark with the help of the highway.
"People were already interested in this area," he said. "People are more interested in coming into an area with a major road. It has helped Grant County decide where new development should take place."
Another grade-and-drain contract for the segment between Scherr and Moorefield, one worth $21.8 million, is expected to be advertised this summer.
"Corridor H has been a benefit to (Hardy County) to make transportation in and out of the area easier," said state Sen. Clark Barnes, R-15th District. "It has enhanced the growth. Because of the highway system out to Wardensville, it makes it easier for Hampshire County to access stores in Moorefield instead of going over to Winchester, Va. It keeps some of our West Virginia dollars at home."
The four-lane highway was first proposed in 1965 as part of an Appalachian Corridor Highway System. Plans for Corridor H were shelved in the 1970s because of environmental issues. But they were revised in the 1990s after U.S. Sen. Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va., became chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee.
The highway has been called one of the 27 worst road projects in the country by critics, who sponsor a Web site and speak out online at www.taxpayers.net.
Corridor H reportedly will not have the traffic count at any point over the next 20 years to justify the funding. Critics claim the highway will not connect any major cities, often running through towns of less than 10,000 people. Former Appalachian Regional Commission Director Ralph Widner was critical of the road because of its close proximity to Interstate 68, formerly known as Corridor E.
Most of the other corridors have been completed, and some Corridor H sections were completed between Weston and Kerens in the mid 1990s. Work then shifted to Hardy County after progress into Tucker County was delayed because of environmental issues.
In addition to the road's effect to the Blackwater Canyon, the state discovered evidence of the West Virginia Northern Flying Squirrel, a federally endangered species, in the 10-mile stretch between Parsons and Davis. Because of that, engineers were forced back to the drawing board to find a less invasive route. The final design through Tucker County is expected to begin in 2025, and construction is scheduled to start around 2031, according to the Corridor H Web site.
The Kerens to Parsons stretch, a 15.5-mile piece of highway, is anticipated to begin construction in 2018.
Barnes said the road will not only open economic development opportunities for his district, but also allow for easier access to the recreational offerings of the Potomac Highlands. He said counties bordering Corridor H, such as Pocahontas and Pendleton, could see increased tourist traffic.
"One of the most important issues for Grant and Pendleton counties will be signage," Barnes said. "We have been working for several years with the Division of Highways on signage that will direct people off of the highways and to our recreational opportunities."
Completing Corridor H and the other remaining pieces of the Appalachian Corridor Highway System have been estimated at $12.2 billion.
But an ARC study suggested that each completed highway system will create $10.1 billion in additional business sales, $4.9 billion in added economic value and another $3.2 billion in higher wages.
"The total economic benefits associated with such a project are estimated to be at $31 billion," said U.S. Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-2nd District. "When adjusted, this means the total economic benefit of completing the system is nearly 3.1 times the estimated cost. Such a ratio strikes me as a rather extensive return on our investment. With such obvious economic benefits to increased investment, the price tag is not necessarily as ominous as one might predict."
