The Inter-Mountain photos by Taylor McKinnie Gov. Patrick Morrisey, center, along with federal, state, county and city officials, prepares to cut the ribbon opening the new 11-mile section of Corridor H running from Kerens to Parsons on Monday afternoon.

KERENS — The 11-mile stretch of Corridor H between Kerens and Parsons is now open after a ribbon-cutting ceremony Monday afternoon.

More than 100 local leaders, representatives and members of the community attended the opening of the latest finished section of Corridor H, which will allow motorists to travel from Kerens in Randolph County to Parsons in Tucker County. The ceremony took place on the first bridge of the newly completed section, which is now fully open to drivers.

During the ceremony, Gov. Patrick Morrisey spoke on the the “level of excellence” the crowd was seeing with the project. Morrisey stated that every mile paved on Corridor H represents “another barrier removed, another community connected and another opportunity within reach.”

“Now the people of this region, they were promised a modern corridor that would connect our mountain communities to the rest of the world,” Morrisey said. “Today, standing here in Kerens, we’ve proven that when West Virginians set their mind to a task, we don’t just move mountains. We conquer them. We know, this road, it’s only existed on maps. Today, we’re going to be able to drive on it.”

Morrisey thanked those on the federal, state and local levels of government for their coordinated efforts on the project. He said that, in recent memory, every governor of West Virginia has made Corridor H the top infrastructure project for the state. Morrisey commented that he has spoken to U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy on possibly moving up the projected completion time of the corridor from 2034. Administrator of the Federal Highway Administration Sean McMaster, who was also in attendance, said that idea “sounds good.”

With the opening of the 11-mile stretch, Morrisey said that approximately 112 miles of Corridor H are now open for travel and that they will open up West Virginia to the world “in a way we haven’t before.” He stated that the project will lead to safer communities, faster shipping, thriving commerce and expanded tourism. He added, however, that while the 11-mile stretch was complete, they would not be declaring “final victory.” The completion of the Kerens to Parson section is a sign of momentum and is not the finish line, the governor said.

In her speech, U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., joked that her granddaughter recently called the road to Parsons from Elkins, “the swerve-y road of death.” The senator said Monday’s milestone could not have been done without the massive support the residents of West Virginia have shown towards the corridor. Capito, who admitted to getting an early sneak preview of the finished stretch during her last visit to Randolph County, called the drive “so beautiful” and “breathtaking.” She described it as showing “some of the most beautiful part of our mountains.”

“To actually be able to drive over (the Cheat River), to see the beauty and the bounty of West Virginia, is quite the experience, and I look forward to it,” Capito said. “I’m on my way back to D.C. to write the next highway bill, which will definitely have significance for the Appalachian Regional Highway System, but also our bridges in West Virginia. Not just here, but all across the state.”

Speaking to The Inter-Mountain after the ribbon-cutting, Capito said she believed it is possible to have the entire Corridor H completed before projected in 2034.

“I think the largest part is probably another 12 miles up to Davis,” Capito told The Inter-Mountain. “You know, with the engineering, 2034 is a great pinpoint. I think the other part, Wardensville to the state line, will be finished probably by 2030 they’re projecting, so let’s take those four years and complete the other 12 (miles)… I think it’s possible (to complete it earlier). I do. Especially with this (opening) today.”

In his opening remarks to the ceremony, West Virginia Transportation Secretary Todd Rumbaugh said, with projects like this, he doesn’t just see literal, physical bridges, but also metaphorical bridges connecting communities.

“For years, driving between Elkins, Kerens and Parsons meant navigating winding, narrow mountainous two-lane roads,” Rumbaugh said. “Today, we change that. By opening this 11-mile stretch, we are delivering a safe, modern, four-lane highway through some of the most rugged, geo-technically challenging terrain in the entire Appalachian highlands.”

Rumbaugh said the new section will “save lives, shorten emergency response times and give families peace of mind.” He also said it will be an economic engine as now motorists can drive from I-79 in Weston to Parsons without having to stop, adding that in the next year and a half, motorists will be able to drive directly into Parsons.

Sen. Robbie Morris, who is Chairman of the Corridor H Authority, called the occasion another promise fulfilled for the people of West Virginia. Morris thanked all of those in attendance and who have worked and who continue to work on the Corridor H. He said the accomplishment of opening the Kerens to Parsons section belonged to the individuals “who refused to give up on the vision of Corridor H.”

“As we celebrate today, I want to pause and recognize a group whose contributions are not always visible, but whose sacrifices are essential; the property owners and families whose lands were impacted by the construction of Corridor H,” Morris said. “Projects of this magnitude, inevitably, require sacrifice, and many individuals and families gave up property that had been in their family for generations. These were not merely parcels of land on a map, they were homes, farms, memories and pieces of family history. To those property owners, I want to say thank you. Thank you for the sacrifices you made so that future generations of West Virginians can benefit from this project.”

Morris said that, while opening the road was a great accomplishment, the work was not finished. He stated that officials would not stop until Corridor H connects I-79 to the Virginia state line, then on to I-81, which spans from Tennessee to the Canadian border in New York. Morris called the ceremony proof that persistence pays off, and that when federal, state and local leaders work together, “great things can happen.”

U.S. Sen. Jim Justice, though not in attendance at the ceremony, did send his regards along with a written statement read by Rumbaugh. In his statement, Justice spoke about his part in the work on Corridor H during his time as governor. He highlighted the efforts of his “Roads to Prosperity” initiative, which he said made the largest investment in roads, highways and bridges in West Virginia’s history. Corridor H, Justice said, was a part of his vision for “Roads to Prosperity.”

“The completion of this stretch of Corridor H and the four-lane connection between Kerens and Parsons is something folks have been waiting on for a very long time,” Justice’s written statement said. “People talked about it for years. They planned it, studied it and talked about it some more, but for far too long it just wasn’t getting done. When I became governor, I said we were going to quit talking and start doing. I made Corridor H a priority because I knew what it meant to this region and what it could for the future of our state.”

Also in attendance was Congressman Riley Moore, R-W.Va., who joked that this project has been in progress longer than he’s been alive. Calling West Virginia “the best-kept secret in the United States,” Moore also highlighted the importance of making dreams a reality.

“Certainly, hopes and dreams are important, but the realization of those is what keeps you going, and this 11-mile stretch is the realization of the work of generations of elected officials, in the federal side and the state side,” Moore said. “This is the realization of all the work that has gone into Corridor H over the decades.”

McMaster, the last to speak, called Monday’s ceremony a living, breathing example of the Trump Administration’s commitment to ensuring all communities have the ability to achieve “economic prosperity.” He praised Morrisey, Capito and Moore for their dedication and advocacy to the Corridor H project.

“This project stands as a shining national example of what successful, common sense collaboration looks like between the federal government and our state partners,” McMaster said. “This project is truly unique. Not every highway requires engineers to literally cut through the side of a rugged mountain, to transform a dangerous two-lane road into a modern four-lane corridor.

“To bring these 11.4 miles to life, crews had to blast through solid rock and move more than 22 million cubic yards of dirt just to get started. To put that in perspective, 22 million cubic yards would fill more than five NFL stadiums. This isn’t just a standard paving job, this is an engineering marvel that proves when we set our minds to a project, we can move mountains to get the job done for the American people.”

After their speeches, McMaster, Capito, Moore, Morrisey, Rumbaugh and Morris were joined by representatives and local leaders in cutting the ribbon to officially open the 11-mile stretch.

The Inter-Mountain photos by Taylor McKinnie
U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., speaks during the ribbon-cutting for a new stretch of Corridor H running from Kerens to Parsons Monday.