morgantown roadgeek meet handout

8/6/2019 Morgantown Roadgeek Meet Handout

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Morgantown

Roadgeek MeetJune 18, 2011


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West Virginia BasicsRoad Network

In West Virginia, the West Virginia Division of Highways (a component of the West Virginia

Department of Transportation) is responsible for maintaining almost all roads outside city limits

and many roads inside. West Virginia has one of the largest state-maintained road networks in

the country, maintaining 34,726 miles of roadway.

Route Types

West Virginia Route (primary state route)

State routes, referred to as West Virginia Route XX or commonly just West

Virginia XX, are signed using a white square or rectangle on a black

background. Generally speaking, 2-digit state routes were part of the original

road network and have been in place since at least the 1930s. 3-digit route

numbers were added later and have a number commonly related to their

previous county route designation (e.g., WV 310 was originally County Route 31).

County Route

While they are maintained by the state, these routes are officially named

County Routes. They are numbered on a county-by-county basis, with

numbers almost always changing at county lines. Whole numbers, such asshown on the right with County Route 73, were generally the primary roads

when the system was established in 1933.

Fractional county routes were originally intended for dead-end roads or minor

connectors between other roads. In this system, the numerator is the number

of the primary (state, county, or U.S.) route at which it terminates. The

denominators uniquely identify the particular road; originally they started at

the southern/western end of the county and sequentially numbered each

branch. As additional roads were added, they were assigned the next available number.

Sometimes fractional routes do branch off other fractional routes; in this case, the numerator

of the parent route is also used for the child route.

West Virginias county route numbering system tends to be very static, with roads rarely

renumbered. This leads to many cases where primary county routes are fairly minor roads

but the fractional routes are fairly major. For example, Chaplin Hill Road which connects I-79


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Exit #155 to US 19/WV 7 is Monongalia County Route 19/24. As one travels along a road, it is

not uncommon for the route number to change due to long-ago abandoned sections. For

example, part of Chaplin Hill Road is CR 19/24 and part is CR 43/5. Fractional routes generally

dont get renumbered when its parent route number changes; many older branches off CR 857

are numbered CR 69/XX (from when it was CR 69) but newer ones are numbered CR 857/XX.

With a handful of exceptions (Monongalia CR 857 being

one), county routes are rarely signed on standalone

trailblazers. They are normally signed in conjunction with

the road name at intersections.

Home Access Road Program (HARP roads)

These roads service two or more private residences and,

prior to the late 1990s, were private roads. The state

agreed to accept these roads put only provides minimal

maintenance in most cases. Some of these routes do

get added to the normal county route system, in which

case they are eligible for upgrades. Numbering varies by

county; generally HARP roads are numbered above 900. In some counties, they are whole

numbers and in others they are fractional.


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Morgantown Personal Rapid Transit

The first, and only, system of its kind, the Morgantown Personal Rapid Transit system provides

connectivity between the three distinct campuses of West Virginia University. Using fully-

automated vehicles, passengers are able to travel directly between five stations along the line.

History

The PRT was originally constructed as a demonstration project for the Urban Mass Transit

Administration, now known as the Federal Transit Administration. Morgantown suffered from

major traffic problems due to its use ofbusses for moving students between the Universitys

physically-separated campuses. UMTA was looking to test the personal rapid transit concept,which included automated dispatching and control of vehicles. With its diverse locales, hilly

terrain, four-season weather and heavy peak traffic loads, Morgantown served as an ideal test

bed.

Initial contracts for the PRT system were let in December 1970. While the concept was first

developed as the Alden staRRcar, UMTA decided that Alden was too small to handle a project


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of Morgantowns scope. The NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory was contracted to manage the

project, with Boeing designing the vehicles, Bendix the control systems, and Harris Engineering

the guideway. The project was rushed due by USDOT because it was intended to be a

showpiece for President Nixons 1972 reelection campaign. This rush, coupled with poor

project management, led to its estimated cost quadrupling from $15 million to $60 million.Examples of these problems include Phase I bridges being massively overbuilt to handle the

weight of railroad cars rather than something closer in weight to a passenger car, and the

vehicles needing retrofitted with 4-wheel steering due to too-sharp turning radius at the

stations.

The dedication of the PRTs first phase, from Walnut station downtown to Engineering station,

was held on October 24, 1972. Tricia Nixon was one of the first riders, but the system still had

many problems and did not open for regular passenger use until 1975. It was closed between

1978-1979 for an expansion to the WVU Health Sciences Center that added two more stations.

With the exception of breaks and two summer-long shutdowns, the system has operated

continuously since then with approximately 98.5% uptime.

Future Plans

The PRT system is now about 40 years old. With the exception of replacement of the original

DEC PDP control computers with Intel Pentium-based systems in the late 1990s, the system is

essentially as-built. Reliability has begun to suffer in recent years, but improvements are on the

way.

The PRT system is currently in the middle of a program to replace the on-board control

computers on all its vehicles. These systems were originally custom-built for the PRT with

discrete soldered components. Their replacements make use of off-the-shelf components to

improve ease of maintenance and repair.

A larger project, estimated to cost about $100 million, would involve a complete overhaul of

the system. It is intended to completely replace the existing vehicle fleet, control and

communications systems as well as make aesthetic improvements. There is also discussion of

converting the system from power by electric rail along the guideway to being battery-

powered, with vehicles charging while in-station. While the PRT receives student fees andfederal transit funds, finding the money to fund this full project represents a challenge.


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Stations

1. Medical Center (WVU Health Sciences Center, WVU Hospitals, Mountaineer Field)2. Towers (freshmen dorms, Student Recreation Center)3. Engineering (Evansdale Campus, Creative Arts Center, Coliseum)4.

Beechurst (Downtown Campus)

5. Walnut (Downtown Morgantown)


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Driving Tour1. Chilis for Lunch

What to see

Lunch starts at 12:00pm. We hope to be getting on the road near 1:30pm.

Driving here

Located at 1001 University Town Centre Boulevard in Granville, West Virginia.

2. Dents Run Covered Bridge

What to seeThis 40-foot long kingpost truss bridge crosses

Dents Run. Built in 1889, it was restored in 2004

for $185,684. It is the only extant covered bridge

in Monongalia County and just one of 17

statewide.

Driving to here

0.0 miles RIGHT on University Town Centre Boulevard0.3 LEFT on CR 19/24: Chaplin Hill Road

Be in left-most left turn lane.

2.3 Area Notes: Mylan Park is a large recreational facility built in this past decade. Itincludes a number of baseball diamonds, horseshoe courts, an equestrian area,

events center, and other facilities.

3.8 RIGHT on CR 43: Sugar Grove Road

4.0 LEFT on CR 43/6: John Fox Road

4.1 PULL HEAD-IN into gravel lot on right into gravel lot after bridge


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3. Robert C. Bob Beach Memorial Bridge

What to see

This 149-foot single span bridge carries County Route

39 across Dunkard Creek. Completed in 2004 at a cost

of over $3 million, this bridge is the worlds longest

three-hinge timber arch bridge. The arch is

constructed of fiber-reinforced glue-laminated timber

and suspends, with 30 steel cables, a fiber-reinforced

polymer deck. This bridge was constructed as a

showpiece for innovative new materials.

The large hill just northeast of the bridge is Browns Hill. This was the western terminus of the

line surveyed by Mason and Dixon in 1767. Their Native Americans would not continue west of

here due to unfriendly Indians inhabiting the area. The line was eventually extended west tothe current southwest corner of Pennsylvania by other surveyors in 1784.

Driving to here

4.1 LEAVE EASTBOUND on CR 43/6: John Fox RoadReturn via same route we drove in on.

4.2 RIGHT on CR 43: Sugar Grove Road

4.7 BEAR RIGHT on fork to US 19: Fairmont Road

4.8 RIGHT on US 19: Fairmont RoadBe cautious of limited sight distance at this intersection.

7.2 RIGHT on CR 41: Little Indian Creek Road

12.2 LEFT on WV 7 WEST: Mason-Dixon Highway

15.9 RIGHT on CR 39: Buckeye Road

16.0 PULL OFF on gravel shoulder before bridge


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4. Cheat Lake Bridges

What to see

The Ices Ferry Bridge carries County Route 857

over a 4-span through truss. Originally

constructed as a 2-span pin-connected truss in

1922 over the Cheat River, an additional two


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riveted spans were added in 1925 when the river was dammed to form Cheat Lake. The bridge

maintains its original railings. With a narrow deck, sharp curves at each end, and a 4-ton load

limit, this bridge is inadequate for current traffic. Construction began earlier this year on a

replacement girder bridge that will be built on a skew angle. The new structure will cost $12.5

million and is expected to open in October 2012.

Interstate 68 crosses Cheat Lake on a 7-span 1,965-foot long deck truss built in 1976.

Driving to here

16.0 CONTINUE STRAIGHT on CR 39: Buckeye RoadAt Pennsylvania state line, becomes SR 2003: Buckeye Road.

19.6 RIGHT on Wades Run Road

19.7 BEAR RIGHT on Wades Run Road

19.9 RIGHT on US 19 SOUTH

21.4 Road Notes: WV 100 is the original route of US 19, which at first did not crossthe Monongahela River. When the original Star City Bridge was built in 1950, US

19 was realigned and entered Morgantown for the first time.

25.1 CONTINUE STRAIGHT on US 19 SOUTH/WV 7 EAST

25.1 Area Notes:Scotts Run is a creek that follows WV 7 and US 19 through this area,giving its name to the valley. This area very rapidly and very heavily developed

beginning in 1917 as a coalfield, but suffered much labor strife in the late 1920s.

When the Great Depression came, this area was especially hard hit. Conditions

drew attention from the national media and relief organizations including the Red

Cross, Quakers, Methodists, and Presbyterians set up shop in the area. Some of

the organizations founded by these relief groups, including The Shack and ScottsRun Settlement House, are still in operation today.

Hearing of the conditions, Eleanor Roosevelt personally visited the area in early

1933. What she witnessed led her to push for the creation of new communities to

resettle indigent families. The first such community, Arthurdale, is located along

WV 92 about twenty miles southeast of here in Preston County. 165 families were

relocated to 1,200 acres in Arthurdale, parts of which today are open as a

museum. Eventually, more than 100 communities were established nationwide

including two others in West Virginia: Tygart Valley Homesteads along US 219/US

250 in Randolph County and at Eleanor along now WV 62 (then US 35) in Putnam

County. Roosevelt took a very personal interest in the success of Arthurdale and

the families who relocated there, returning a number of times to visit. FDR spoke

at the Arthurdale High School graduation in May 1938.

26.8 LEFT on US 19 SOUTH/WV 7 EAST: Monongahela Boulevard

27.3 Road Notes:The current Star City Bridge over the Monongahela River wascompleted in 2004, replacing a 2-lane through truss that had become a major


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traffic bottleneck. The new bridge is equipped with over 700 sensors that monitor

characteristics of its traffic as well as expansion, contraction, and stresses of the

bridge itself.

28.1 Area Notes:The WVU Coliseum is the largest structure on the right near the WV705 intersection. Built in 1970, it is the home of the West Virginia Mountaineers

basketball team.28.2 LEFT on WV 705 EAST: Patteson Drive

At University Avenue, becomes WV 705 EAST: Van Voorhis Road.

29.0 Area Notes: Mountaineer Field, home of the WVU football team, is locatedalong Elmer Prince Drive along with the WVU Hospitals complex. The construction

of the limited-access portion of WV 705 east of Don Nehlen Drive was done to

provide access to the stadium.

29.4 RIGHT on WV 705 EAST: Chestnut Ridge RoadThis is a continuous right turn. At CR 61/1: Don Nehlen Drive, becomes 201

st

Memorial Highway.29.4 Road Notes:The WV 705 corridor is currently undergoing an ITS deployment

including the installation of video cameras. It also receiving a cutting-edge

adaptive signal coordination system that tracks Bluetooth signals from passing

cars and uses them to monitor vehicle progression.

31.0 Road Notes:In the mid-2000s, there were plans to construct a new 4-lane roadcalled the Pastureland Parkway to bypass the 2-lane section of WV 705 and US

119. This road would have departed just after CR 67: Stewartstown Road, swung

downhill into West Run valley, then connected in with the 4-lane CR 857

connector to I-68. WVDOH did not secure the right-of-way and development

around 2009 killed this plan. Instead, US 119 will be widened along its current

route.

31.7 LEFT on US 119 NORTH: Mileground Road

32.7 CONTINUE STRAIGHT on US 119 NORTH/CR 857 NORTH: Mileground

Road

33.1 RIGHT on CR 857 NORTH: Cheat Road

34.3 LEFT on I-68 EAST towards Cumberland

37.0 EXIT at Exit 10: WV 43 NORTH towards Uniontown

37.3 LEFT on WV 43 NORTH: Mon-Fayette Expressway

37.4 LEFT on temporary ramp immediately after I-68 underpass37.5 RIGHT on temporary ramp towards CR 857

37.6 LEFT on CR 857 SOUTH: Cheat Road

38.4 U-TURN into gravel shoulder on left side of road before Ices Ferry

Bridge

38.4 PULL OFF on gravel shoulder between I-68 and Ices Ferry Bridges


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5. WV 43 Northern Interchange

What to see

Prior to the coming of the new WV 43 freeway, I-

68 Exit 10 connected to County Route 857 to

provide access to the Cheat Lake area. With WV

43 now tying in to I-68 via Exit 10, this

interchange was constructed to handle local

traffic. The east-west section of CR 88/1: Bowers

Lane was built new, and the existing north-south

section connected to CR 88: Sunset Beach Road was widened.

Using a folded diamond interchange appears to serve two purposes: (a) Providing additional

distance between this interchange and WV 43s interchange with I-68, and (b) avoiding a

cemetery south of the new Bowers Lane connector.

This interchange was originally was to the

northern end of the free section of WV 43, but

WVDOH has for the time being suspended plans

to toll the road.


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Driving to here

38.4 CONTINUE STRAIGHT on CR 857 NORTH: Cheat Road38.8 LEFT on CR 88: Sunset Beach Road

39.3 BEAR RIGHT on CR 88/1: Bowers Lane

39.8 PULL OFF on paved shoulder near WV 43 SOUTHramps

6. WV 43 Southern Interchange

What to see

The slip ramp from I-68 westbound ties in to the

WV 43 mainline here. The CR 857 overpass and

segment up to the northern interchange are also

readily visible from this spot.

Driving to here

39.8 CONTINUE STRAIGHT on CR 88/1: Bowers Lane

40.2 RIGHT on CR 857 SOUTH: Fairchance Road

40.5 LEFT on Jo Glen Drive

40.7 LEFTon access road to St. Lukes Catholic Church

40.7 PARKin St. Lukes Catholic Church


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7. Morgans Run Bridge

What to see

This pair of structures carries WV 43 high above

Morgans Run creek and CR 71: Morgans Run

Road. While a similar pair of bridges over Rubles

Run to the north was completed by 2001, these

structures did not go to bid until late 2006 due to

a high cost of almost $20 million. The structures

were completed in 2009.

Driving to here

40.7 RIGHT on Jo Glen Drive

40.8 RIGHT on CR 857 NORTH: Fairchance Road

42.7 LEFT on CR 71: Morgans Run RoadThis is a narrow road with limited sight distance. Be careful for oncoming traffic.

43.4 PARK on paved access road on left underneath Morgans Run BridgeTry to do a U-turn so you are parking facing out. This road does not have anything

on it. Do not block CR 71: Morgans Run Road.


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8A. Gans Road Interchange (Optional Stop)

What to see

Since March 2000, this interchange has served as

the southern end of the open Mon-Fayette

Expressway sections. With the coming opening of

West Virginias section of the road, the southern

half of this interchange will finally open July 11,


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2011. In recent weeks, the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission has removed the portable

Jersey barriers and fending that closed off the southern segment. The road is now striped,

signed, and ready to open.


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Driving to here

43.4 LEAVE EASTBOUND on CR 71: Morgans Run RoadReturn via same route we drove in on. This is a narrow road with limited sight

distance. Be careful for oncoming traffic.

44.1 LEFT on CR 857 NORTH: Fairchance RoadBe careful of limited sight distance at intersection. At Pennsylvania state line,

becomes PA 857 NORTH: Fairchance Road.

47.4 LEFT on SR 3002: Gans Road

48.0 PULL OFF on paved shoulder between PA 43 NORTH ramps and bridge


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9. WV 273 Interchange

What to see

To provide connectivity to Interstate 79, the new

Exit 136 was constructed. WV 273 is carried over I-79 on a steel arch bridge built about 2007. The

interchange was constructed in conjunction with a

widening of I-79 that finished in 2009. Ramps to

and from Interstate 79 northbound opened on

August 1, 2009 signed as being for CR 31/2: Stoney

Road. The bridge and southbound ramps did not open until December 2010 and were signed as

WV 273 at that time.

The cut-stone building under construction currently is a new visitor center. The overpass ofSatterfield Street is visible here, as is an excellent view of the Gateway corridor. The highway is

built along what was previously State Street at a cost of approximately $150 million.

Driving to here

48.0 CONTINUE STRAIGHT on SR 3002: Gans Road

48.2 U-TURN at PA 43 SOUTH/Bunker Hill Road intersection

Use the wide spot on Bunker Hill Road at the intersection to do a U-

turn.

48.2 CONTINUE STRAIGHT on SR 3002: Gans RoadReturn via the same route we drove in.

49.0 RIGHT on PA 857 SOUTH: Fairchance RoadAt West Virginia state line, becomes CR 857 SOUTH: Fairchance Road

54.4 LEFT on access road to I-68

54.5 RIGHT on I-68 WEST towards Morgantown

64.3 EXIT onto I-79 SOUTH towards Fairmont

77.4 EXIT at Exit 136: WV 273 NORTH towards Downtown Fairmont

77.8 CONTINUE STRAIGHT on Cole Street

77.9 RIGHT on CR 64/13: State StreetThis is the stop sign immediately downhill from WV 273.

78.0 RIGHT into East Marion Park

78.0 PARK in East Marion Park parking lot


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11. Monongahela River Bridges

What to see

The High Level Bridge, officially the Robert H.

Mollohan-Jefferson Street Bridge, is the primarymeans of accessing downtown Fairmont from the I-79

corridor. Originally constructed in 1921, this 1,266-

foot concrete arch is an excellent example of a large

early 20th

Century structures. West Virginias largest

reinforced concrete arch, this bridge was restored

from 1998-2000 under a $23.5 million contract. The

extensive project involved removing the existing deck and tearing the bridge down to its piers

and arch ribs. The piers and arches were repaired; the verticals above the arches and the deck

were replaced with new precast sections.

The large piers at either end of the arch section contain staircases that originally provided

access to the railroad tracks on either bank. While these stairwells still exist, they are now

closed to the public for security reasons.

Just downstream of the High Level Bridge are the

cut-stone piers of what was known as the Low

Level or Nickel Bridge. This through truss bridge

carried Madison Street across the river. Built in

1908, this bridge was open until the 1980s. Itwas demolished about 2006. The bridge carried

tolls its entire life, starting at 5 cents and ending

at 25 cents when it closed. Fairmont is exploring

reusing the piers for a pedestrian bridge.


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Driving to here

79.3 LEFT on Bridge StreetBe careful of potholes on this roadway.

79.4 RIGHT on WV 310 SOUTH: Merchant Street

Be careful of limited sight distance at intersection.79.6 SHARP LEFT on Everest Drive (at Morgantown Avenue traffic signal)

This road becomes Water Street.

79.9 PULL OFF on gravel area after High Level Bridge


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12A. Direct Return to Morgantown

Driving to here

79.9 LEAVE NORTHBOUND on Water StreetReturn via same route we drove in on. This road becomes Everest Drive.

80.2 LEFT on WV 310 SOUTH: Park Avenue

81.2 RIGHT on WV 310 SOUTH: Grafton Road

81.6 RIGHT on I-79 NORTH towards Morgantown

99.7 EXIT at Exit 155: WV 7 for West Virginia University


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100.0 RIGHT on CR 19/24: Chaplin Hill Road

100.2 RIGHT on University Town Centre Boulevard

100.4 LEFTinto Chilis parking lot

12B. C.J. Maggies for Dinner

What to see

C.J. Maggies specialized in restoring older buildings in downtown cities. This restaurant, which

opened earlier this summer, is their fourth location after Buckhannon and Elkins in West

Virginia and Ashland, Kentucky. C.J. Maggies serves an extremely diverse menu, but be

prepared to wait.

Driving to here

79.9 LEAVE NORTHBOUND on Water StreetReturn via same route we drove in on. This road becomes Everest Drive.

80.2 RIGHT on WV 310 NORTH: Merchant Street

80.4 RIGHT on CR 19/73: Jefferson Street

80.7 LEFT on Hull AlleyThis is the alley after Washington Street. There are Civil War Trails signs here.

80.8 LEFT into C.J. Maggies parking lot.

80.8 PARK in parking lot


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82.3 RIGHT on WV 310 SOUTH: Grafton Road

82.7 RIGHT on I-79 NORTH towards Morgantown

100.8 EXIT at Exit 155: WV 7 for West Virginia University

101.1 RIGHT on CR 19/24: Chaplin Hill Road

101.3 RIGHT on University Town Centre Boulevard101.5 LEFTinto Chilis parking lot

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