More new road opened in April:

April 18, 2003
Gov. Wise, Senator Byrd To Open More Corridor H Mileage In Hardy County

Charleston, W. Va. - Gov. Bob Wise will join U.S. Senator Robert C. Byrd and Transportation Secretary Fred VanKirk Thursday, April 24 to open an additional 5.35 miles of Appalachian Corridor H east of Moorefield. The roadway extends from a three-mile segment opened August 19, 2002, and completes more than $75 million of construction in Hardy County.

For more, check out:

http://www.wvcorridorh.com/

PS I think the road should be re-named Corridor S--S for SKI!

What will be the ultimate route from the east (DC) to Snowshoe - given H. Will still it involve going through Cass and up or through Elkins and down (help me understand the benefit of H). I come in from Cincinnati, H won't help me (I don't think).

Do you know where exactly the new section is -- is it west of the section that was open this past winter? That would be dropping down to Moorefield? Is so, this would eliminate another couple of nasty switchbacks and should shave a few more minutes off the trip to T-line or Snowshoe.

I drove Corridor H this weekend and could not find the new section. The section that opened from Baker to Moorfield in November 2002 is open, but it hasn't been expanded yet. Maybe I missed something but that press release I posted doesn't seem correct.

The corridor H web site claims that the entire 14 mile stretch from Moorfield to Baker will open by fall 2003. By fall 2004, another section (7 miles) will open from Baker to Wardensville.

Currently, it takes me three hours and 45 minutes to drive to Timberline from downtown DC via 33, SR 55 (the Corridor H route) and I-66. It takes four hours if I go via 220 and I-68 through MD. When the entire, Baker to Moorfield stretch is opened this fall, I suspect another 10 minutes will be shaved off the trip.

The problem with Corridor H for me is that it still does not eliminate two very congested spots near DC (I-66 near Manassas and I-66 from West Falls Church to Balston). Those bottlenecks can easily add 15-20 minutes to my trip. In other words, the MD route still might be the best way to go--at least until fall 2004.

[This message has been edited by johnfmh (edited 05-12-2003).]

Don't you get stuck on I-270 from Rockville to Frederick on the Maryland route?

From my vantage point leaving near Bethesda, I find the best traffic free route out of town during rush "hour" is to get on the beltway from the Clara Barton Parkway, then exit in a few minutes onto the Dulles Toll Road, take that to the Greenway and Route 7 West, then take the Winchester Bypass to Route 50 West.

Hmmm. Corridor H web site even shows photos from the "opening ceremony" for that new section of road. Seems odd that it would not be open. Perhaps West 'Ginny got ahead of themselves on the publicity?

I think they opened that section in November 2002, but just recently had the "opening ceremony" with the gov. this past April. I definitely drove the entire 5.35 stretch over the winter season. I think the good news is that the entire Moorefield to Baker section will be open to traffic in fall 2003. That should finally eliminate those nasty switchbacks just outside of Moorfield.

Regarding I-270, yeah there is a serious bottleneck as the road begins to lose lanes about 7 miles from Frederick. However, that's about the only problem. Getting through Frederick used to be horrible but the new interchange there helps. One thing I like about the I-270/I-68/220 route is Mr. Tucker's on Naves Cross Rd just outside of Cumberland. Mr. Tucker's has great wood fired pizza and usually serves until 11 pm., so it is a very convenient rest stop for night travelers like myself.

[This message has been edited by johnfmh (edited 05-13-2003).]

They are going full steam ahead on the construction of the two segments. The route through the highlands from the existing road into Moorefield will be spectacular, and they have already built the necessary bridges, with paving about the only thing left to do. The road from Wardensville westbound to connect with the existing road is not as complete, but there has been significant progress.

I can see the time from DC into Canaan or Snowshoe shortened by 30 minutes soon...

Lou:

There's certainly a correlation between real estate prices in ski country and progress on the new road. I feel that the current real estate boom in the Canaan Valley is directly linked to future expectations about the road. The thought of CV being an hour closer to DC certainly makes it more appealing from a vacation home perspective.

Also, the rate of progress on the road should increase as more segments get done, and equipment and manpower resources get freed up for new construction.

New season and planning for this winters ski trips. Does anyone know if any new sections of Corridor H or portions thereof have been completed since last fall? I checked the WV Corridor H website but it doesn't say a whole lot ... I think they don't update it until a section is 'officially' completed.

We are trying to find the best route from DC to Snowshoe given rainy or snowy conditions. We got into freezing fog and rain on one trip several years ago and don't want to repeat -that- experience! White knuckle all the way for 9 hrs! Usually, in bad weather, we take the long way around via inner-states, going north thru Cumberland to Morgantown to Weston to Elkins, but it adds a bunch of hours to the trip.

Any suggestions really appreciated. Specific instructions desired as I am know to be map reading disabled.

John:

How long does that route take you (on average) to get to T-line, and starting where? For me, 66 and 270 are equidistant, so I'm always wondering which route is superior.

Norsk

There have been years of debates on DCSki about the fastest way to Timberline--just do some searches on the forum.

Some people swear that the best way to go is the Dulles Toll Rd/50/93/32. Others say 66/55/33/32. Still others like 66/55/42/93/32. And then of course there's 270/70/68/220/93/32.

Much depends on where you live in the metro area. VA people should probably take one of the VA routes. However, I know someone from Lake Ridge who takes the MD route b/c it has the least number of switchbacks. For people afraid of snow and ice, the MD CHART system can be of great use in deciding whether or not to make the drive. Using a cool mapping feature, it provides full weather info (including pavement temperatures) for all the major highways in MD. It also provides live pictures, info on delays, and real-time speed readings for all major highways in the state:

http://www.chart.state.md.us/default.asp

I use this system to determine if it is safe to make a late night drive to Timberline in the dead of winter.

It takes me 4 hours with limited stops and no major traffic to get to Timberline. About 45 minutes of that time is devoted to getting out of DC--either on CT Ave or Beach Drive. From the Beltway, the drive is just a hair over 3 hours.

Thanks. Yeah, I have followed many of those debates -- pretty sure they will never end (except perhaps in 2027 or thereabouts when all of Corridor H is open).

Living in downtown DC, I take the 66/Corr H/Seneca Rocks route and usually get there in 3:45. (I like to think its only 3:30, but reality is creeping in.) I agree its all about exiting DC most efficiently -- don't the traffic planners know we need designated ski lanes on our major highways?

Thanks for the info John. The Maryland system looks to be very efficient, and if used regularly, a major assett to Beltway Road Warriors.

The entire 14 mile stretch from Baker to Moorfield should open sometime in the fall. For me, a Timberline driver, it's not enough new road to make me change from the 270, 70, 68, 220, 93 route, but it will make matters easier for Snowshoe travelers.

My problem is that from where I live in DC, it's easier for me to get out of the city via 270 than I-66. That means many new stretches of the new road will have to open before I will be using it regularly to get to Timberline.

www.wvcorridorh.com