The Inter-Mountain file photo Robbie Morris, chairman of the Corridor H Authority, speaks at a groundbreaking ceremony for a section of Corridor H in Tucker County in June.

DAVIS — The Corridor H Authority announced Thursday that it supports the original route for the for the Parsons to Davis section of Corridor H, and opposes further study of the alternate northern route.

“We are disappointed the West Virginia Division of Highways has decided to conduct further studies of the Northern Route alternative,” Robbie Morris, chairman of the Corridor H Authority, said in a press statement.

“The DOH has already conducted an exhaustive study of all alternative routes and has concluded that the Revised Original Preferred Alignment (ROPA) is the best choice in terms of safety, length, smallest environmental impact, and preservation and enhancement of the towns of Thomas, Davis and other communities and historic assets in the region.”

Morris said considering the alternative route is a waste of time that will only push the project back.

“Further study of the northern route alternative will only delay construction and completion of Corridor H,” he said. “We also suspect that additional study will confirm … that the northern route is longer; has far more severe environmental impacts than the ROPA; will require more bridges and crossings of Route 219 than the ROPA; and will adversely impact Thomas City Park, among other things.”

Later in the afternoon on Thursday, the DOH released a press statement responding to the Corridor H Authority’s comments.

“The decision to examine and provide additional data on an alternate northern alignment lies solely with the Federal Highway Administration,” the DOH statement reads. “The WVDOH is working in conjunction with the FHWA on this request and is committed to not only do the right thing, but to do it the right way…

“The WVDOH does not believe the current evaluations will cause delays in getting the project under construction. Much of the data that the FHWA is requesting the DOH to provide has long been collected and analyzed.

“The WVDOH will submit all the requirements to the FHWA and request that they expedite the Notice of Intent, which will lead to the final NEPA document,” according to the statement.

“In the meantime, the WVDOH is actively and urgently continuing with preliminary design activities. This process will test the ROPA alignment, and confirm the value of solid, deliberate, good engineering.

“The WVDOH believes the ROPA alignment for Corridor H is the best route with the least negative impact on local communities, and also believes further study of the more northern alignment will reaffirm the ROPA alignment as the better choice.”

An online petition asking that an alternate northern route for Corridor H from Parsons to Davis be considered has been signed by more than 5,000 people.

The four-lane Corridor H highway, now about 90 percent complete, begins at Weston and travels across central West Virginia, to eventually link up with Interstate 81 in Strasburg, Virginia. The highway is expected to open some of West Virginia’s most remote areas in Grant, Tucker and Hardy counties to economic development, connect West Virginia’s highlands with eastern ports, speed travel times through the mountains and provide a smooth, safe highway for travelers and local residents.