Agree with Brad, it probably will be some time before we see significant new additions to CH after the Baker-Moorefield section opens. I take it one section at a time. When the new section opens it will eliminate the toughest section of WVA 2-lane left on the drive from VA to Canaan Valley. Everything left after the Lost River area is relatively tame. Also, the new section should shave another 5 minutes or so from the trip. For me, that will cut the trip to the Valley from Fairfax down to nearly 3 hours flat.

Quite honestly the push to build CH from Moorefield to Wardensville really wasn't two sections, it was more like politicians pushing both of those sections at once. So in reality just one section is going to be fully open by this upcoming winter.

Since I've driven the currently 2 lane road from Wardensville to Baker and beyond probably thousands of times in my driving career, the new section should save around 5-10 minutes. Currently if I leave Wardensville at 9am, I'll arrive in baker around 9:20am. Plus the amount of driving i've doneon the closed sections, easily upto a 10 minute savings.

Also for those interested, when the section from Moorefield to Foreman completes, this may not be as beneficial to skiers/boarders as some immediately think. Foreman's location is kind of in the middle of no where along county road #5. So once that section is finished, DCSkiers who take this route will have to get off and take a left at Foreman's exit, drive 3-5 miles on county route 5 before getting placed on Rt 42 several miles outside of Petersburg.

So travelers will have to ask themselves if this is beneficial to them time wise since the roadway turns north out of Moorefield and cuts around to Foreman. Where as the current roadway of 220 goes south directly into Petersburg, albeit with some turns and twists. So with a traveler getting off at Foreman the best bet is for them to continue north on 42 and get to CV/TL via Davis rather than the Seneca route. Otherwise they would be doing some backtracking to get into Petersburg to goto Seneca.

We won't really see any major benefits until Moorefield to Scherr is open.

because if some have a preference of going via Seneca over Scherr, it appears that this

Brad, to me the big question re the section beyond Foreman is whether it terminates in Scherr (as you reference above) or in Bismarck (as the H website says). If I'm not mistaken, Bismarck would mean it climbs the Allegheny Front; Scherr would not. Once you're over the front, 93 from the power station to CV is flat and wide open empty.

I've wondered that myself and heard both actually. I'm not sure if that is part of the fight against CH out in that area to terminate it at Scherr vs Bismark or what. I've yet to see or hear about plans of how CH would climb the alleghney front.

Thanks for the welcome Colonel. I've been lurking here a while. I live in Staffod, VA. I see you are in West Springfield - I grew up in Springfield - down off of Backlick Rd.

Anyway, my son (15) and I have really gotten into skiing the last 3 or 4 years. I ski, he boards. We hit CV mostly with the occasional trip to Snowshoe. We probably spent 6 or 7 weekends at Timberline this year, so I decided to take the plunge and have bought a condo at Tline. We're both very excited for the 06-07 season to get here!

Clay

I drove from Arlington to CV and back last week. There is remarkably little activity at the bridge and it looks as if they have just a skeletal crew working. I attribute it in large measure to the State not imposing penalities on the contruction company. Whether or not the State in fact changed the design, the construction company has virtually no incentive to keep workers there in force if no penalty is being paid for late completion.

For what it is worth, if the Wardensville to Bismark route is ever fully completed it will cut approximately 17.2 miles off the old 55/42 route. It is currently, according the Yahoo maps, 64.7 and will be, according to WV Highway Dept. 47.5. Between the reduced miles and increased speed on the completed H, it should take no longer than 40 minutes to drive that stretch. That is a considerable time savings (up to 45 minutes for me) not to mention the reduced stress of not being behind timber, poultry, coal, and mulch trucks on two lane roads. Now if they were ever to link Wardensville to 81, almost heaven.

That's because there really is only a skeleton crew working there. Once CJ Mahan took the project over a couple years ago after the phase 1 construction company used that bridge/road crossing to truck massive loads of rock/soil upto the completed sections, CJ Mahan has been behind. A friend of mine who worked at the Lost River Sinks bridges said that alot of the CJ Mahan workers were shifted to Charleston WV to complete a bridge there that was also behind schedule and being fined for.

Yo, Clay. Where at t-line did you take the plunge???? I own at G6 Northwoods.

Well we were ALMOST next door neighbors!! I had an offer on Northwoods G5 but the listing agent was a nightmare! Didn't want to share commission with my agent. I would go into details, but it would quickly dissolve into anger and libel so enough said. Let's just say it was the strangest real estate deal I have ever been involved in.

Anyway, since there were two available at almost exactly the same price (not the sharpest tool in the shed, this realtor) I rescinded my offer and bought F1. I think I'm a little better off since I'm in an end unit - but we'll see when the heating bill arrives. At least it will save me 50 steps to the slopes!

If you get a minute, drop me a PM or an email, I would love to hear about the HOA. I got some info from the Pres and Treasuer, but I would love the Secretary's views as well

LOL - you discovered West Virginia real estate practices. When I went to buy my place at Snowshoe, I brought my own Buyers Representative from DC (they'd never heard of that). He was absolutely flabbergasted at the business practices in WV. We asked for names of 3 home inspectors - the realtor said "we don't bother with that here". We asked for condo by-laws - "you have to call the Board". We asked for info on phone companies, cable, names of plumbers, contractors, etc. - "got a blank stare". A WV closing was - met with the lawyers Secretary, hand her a check, she hands us 1 piece of paper (says no liens on the property) and a promise to mail the title in a month or two. THAT WAS IT...out in 2 minutes! The whole thing was done with a handshake and a promise! Oh, when we very FIRST looked at the property we mentioned things we'd like to do to it (moving walls, new hot water heater, etc.). They said they'd have it done by Closing. I said "but we don't OWN the property yet". They said "well, are you planning on buying it?." We said "yes" and they said "that's good enough to start work" !!! Are West Virginia realtors laid back or just plain stupid ??? My DC realtor rep answered that on the way home!.

Yep, business in WV is done MUCH differently than in the urban areas we reside in. I think at least the Canaan Valley/Snowshoe areas are becoming to DC what Vermont is to Boston. I was in Ocean City a few weeks ago and can't help but notice Canaan Valley draws a much more upscale, outdoors, artsy, friendly crowd (both owners and 'tourists') than many of the local beach resorts. I've met more great people (both locals and fellow out of town owners in my condo development) in my short 2 years of ownership than I have as a lifelong Baltimore resident. Davis/Thomas is the mountain equivilent of Dewey or Rehoboth.

Frankly I think the Corridor H construction is a joke. Wardensville-Moorefield was supposed to be open by Fall 2004!! Once that whole stretch opens, I'd be tempted (as I drive from Baltimore) to take 70W to Frederick, then 340 through Harpers Ferry to Winchester and pick up CH/55 rather than do the 70-68-220-50-93-32 route. But until the whole stretch is open, I'll stick with the northern route. I really hate 220 from Cumberland to Keyser. Seems like an eternity...

Well after hearing that I feel like I was lucky. I hooked up with a Real Estate broker in Elkins who is the niece of a friend of my mothers. She did a SUPER job in tracking down all of those things (title, HOA by-laws etc.). She also recommended a lawyer in Elkins who did a bang up job with the closing. I would highly recommend them to anybody looking to buy real estate up there.

The thing that was strange was, as I understand it, the seller lives in Manassas, but they must have adopted the WV way - They took forever getting back to us when we made requests for things to be fixed etc. It could have been their agent - it typically took her a week to return a phone call. I wasn't asking for many things but I was struck with the feeling that they didn't care if it sold or not. When I took posession I thought the place was a mess (and that's saying something - just ask my wife ) I've spent two weekends up there cleaning (vacuuming, mopping floors etc) but I wasn't about to ask them to do it - I could still be waiting!!!!

Anyway, I still consider it a very happy ending - IT'S MINE!! Now I just need some snow and I will be in heaven.

Clay

Welcome to the Valley man. don't need no stinkin' snow - plenty to do this time o' year - the mountain biking is excellent! Lots of awesome roots, mud, rocks, more roots, and plenty of rocks...and mud. Did I mention rocks? The hiking is great too, but why walk when you can roll? Seriously it's a great place, we love it year round - hope you and your wife do too.

Tom

Welcome to resort/ski ownership - no more making reservations having to come and leave at a specific time...
But you all are Valley Boys - and I'm a ... what (if at Snowshoe)... what? Can we all get along anyway???? By the way - that's some "valley" - I think CV is the HIGHEST "valley" on the east coast.

Clay, I'll fill you in on a lot that you'll want to know and probably a lot that you wish you didn't. However, I know the former owner of you unit and aside from them being very laid back, they're really great people. He's retired, she's...I don't know. They bought a house in Yokum this spring. As for WV realtors... well what you and others have said is true. I tried to buy two parcels of land several years ago. Put deposits on them and everything. Got a call a week later from the agent telling me that they were already sold. Most of the problem lies with their inability to keep up with things. Their attitude has always been, "I'll get to it later. I'm going________now."
Anyway, we have a HOA meeting the last weekend in July. It's a good opportunity to meet the other owners, kick back and enjoy the weather. Question, are you renting your unit or using it for your own purposes? It makes a huge difference in your property taxes in Tucker County. I didn't know that G-5 was on the market. Who has it listed?

..." agent telling me that they were already sold. "...

LOL - mine was on the MLS as For Sale two months after I moved in. Also, I found at Snowshoe that a vast number of sales are never even IN the MLS - real estate is all done by word-of-mouth. You have to actually talk to someone to find out what is for sale or you'd never know. We have a number of units where the owners would sell, but never get to the point of "listing", however the realors know them and "hook you up", as-it-were. Very little of my transaction was ever done "in writing".

Rich- CV is the highest valley east of the Mississippi, and is officially a valley.

I vote we name Snowshoers "mullet tops"- like anyone with a mullet, they've got it short up front (Basin side) and long in the back (Western Territory).

Tell away, I'm interested in the good and the bad! You give me the dirt and I'll tell you what mine was appraised for

I will be using it for my own purposes. My realtor (God bless her) contacted the assessor's office to check on the taxes and found I should move it from a class 2 to a class 3 because of that (or was it a 3 to 2?) Anyway, I filled out the form like they told me so I know I got it right on that. Based on what they told her, it's going to cut my taxes in half!

From what I can tell, G5 is still on the market and is being handled by Lone Wolfe Real Estate (www.lonewolferealestate.com). One of the H units (one bedroom) is also on sale for way under market price (I didn't see it until I went up to close ). It was on the billboard in front of Landis for $125,000. My realtor checked and it is being unloaded quickly because of a divorce. I have yet to see it on Landis' website though.

OK, top this:
When I got the tax bill - the name was wrong. They said they couldn't do anything, I have to get a new Title. Oh, I can't get the phone changed to my name as the original owner must have auto-check-pay or something and as long as they are paying the phone bill, I can't change it. And they're now of no fixed address - can't track them down. The WV phone company will not disconnect them as long as they are paying the bill.

I ran into the same thing. The day before closing, I called to have it switched to my name but they wouldn't do it because the previous owner hadn't disconnected it yet. Not a big deal, because I knew how to reach them to remind them. But look at the bright side - you have free phone! I can't believe how much it costs just to have a working phone in there.

On the tax bill - is your title wrong or did the assessor make the mistake?

Clay

The Lawyer (his Secretary that did the 3-minute Closing) got the name wrong on the Title and a trickle-down effect made the Tax Bill wrong. Finally got it all fixed - and with a free phone!!! Been 6 months and the original owner is still somehow paying that bill. Phone Co. says forget it til I don't have a dial tone THEN CALL THEM! Really!!!

I can go on and on about the incompetence in the realtors world inthe valley but need to be careful cuz I'm friends with quite a few. There are some I wouldn't have sell lemonaide, but a few are competent and really try hard. I have discovered that you MUST ASK in order to find anything out. Even then, the information may not be correct. The NWHOA has had problems with realtors telling buyers that they can do this and that, most being in violation of WV condo codes. And so the saga continues. I got stuck with back taxes on property that I had sold, not realizing that I owed since the former owner didn't forward the tax bill to me. Two years is pretty accurate as the time needed for them to get things correct. Anyway, I'm going to the valley this weekend to check on things. Maybe I'll see you around.

I guess we lucked out - no problems with our transaction - 4 years in the books now. We ended up using a realtor out of Elkins and he did a great job. We did ruffle a few feathers with the local CV real estate community though by using an "outsider".

We looked in the valley on-and-off for several years using local agents. At the time we thought the properties were overpriced (hindsite being 20-20 I should have cashed in my 401K and built my own empire up there the way prices exploded months after we bought in). Anyway, we were down near Elkins and contacted a realtor there about mountain property south of the valley. He used the official MLS and happened to pull a couple listings in CV we had never seen before. Well, we moved quickly on one of the properties and were able to purchase well under the "local" market.

I think they wised up in the valley since then, and now recognize that out-of-staters rely on the Internet more to shop for real estate. Also, they have new competition as some national realtors like Long & Foster have started encroaching from DCL. Any deals up there are definately kept below the radar and off the net. Now we have our choice of $350K+ homes (that no one could sell for $125K four years ago) and plenty of undeveloped land priced at $200K an acre. It's nuts.

I am an attorney who does closings in Davis (just started doing closings up here six months ago -- my main office is in Oakland) and have found that the closings I have been involved in up here have run rather smoothly (at least compared to many of the ones I have done in Garrett and Preston Counties). It sounds like a lot of the problems you guys have run into should have been handled by the closing attorney. I only do about 2 to 3 closings a month in Davis right now, but I'm hoping to get more over time as I'm sure a lot of the buyers (and sellers) would like to avoid going all the way to Elkins to close.
By the way -- snowed up here yesterday morning

LOL - "closing" & "attorney" in the same sentence! Mine was 2 minutes with the "attorneys" Secretary. Those WV realtors wouldn't last a second anywhere else. They are in hog heaven using the "double-wide" realty and closing techniques on $300K & $500k properties at Snowshoe.
LOL - WV attorneys - all I can picture is My Cousin Vinnie.

I haven't dealt with jonjon on a legal basis, but if he conducts his legal affairs in the same forthright, courteous, and professional manner that he and his wife operate the Meyer House B&B in Davis, then I think he'd be worth a try as a local settlement attorney.

Local Canaan Valley attorney Janet Preston did a fine job for us. Tax bill came through in proper form, on time, and with the correct name and address.
Rich, I don't know you at all, but unless someone has hijacked your screen name and is posting without your knowledge, I think you're making quite a fool of yourself.
Dave

Elaborate - I spent hundreds of thousands on WV real estate, and I pay out of my pocket to hire a Buyers Representative to rep me in WV transactions (that's alien to them). I can document everything. You seem to "protest too much" (Oh, that's a take on Shakespeare - an old writer) - by chance are you a WV "realtor"?

I do think its a shame when an attorney has his secretary do the "closing". I like to take the time to make sure everyone understands everything that is going on in a closing, because many details are handled differently in different areas. I am a licensed attorney in three different states (MD, VA, and WVA), and trust me, the WVA lawyers on a whole are way less laughable than the ones I have dealt with in the other states.

I have bought and sold numerous properties in 3 states. Over the last couple of years, I have worked with Mr. Thomas Ross in Elkins for a couple of Canaan Valley transactions and recommend him without reservation. The title exam he did was thorough and completely documented and all transactions were recorded correctly and in a timely manner. One of my sales became complicated just prior to close (it was on a very short timeline) and he put forth significant effort to facilitate closure of the transaction. Likewise, I found the Tucker County tax record and assessment office to be reasonably efficient. I cannot comment on "home inspectors" in the valley because I've never hired one there. (Actually, I never use them anymore as I've generally found their "inspection" to be a complete waste of time and money; I guess they make some people feel better, though.) I also wouldn't put much faith in real estate agents for anything other than to open the door to show a property, because, for the most part, their interests are not aligned with yours (whether buying or selling.) But I believe a good attorney is vitally important and Mr. Ross is among the most competent I have worked with in 25 years of real estate transactions.

I'm sorry hear that there have been some poorly handled transactions in WV, but that is by no means an indictment of all WV attorneys. As JonJon says, there are some very good ones in the state. Similarily, I have dealt with some in the DC area that I felt were less than competent, but that certainly does not make ALL DC area lawyers incompetent either.

Mr Thomas Ross in Elkins handled our purchase and I would highly recommend him. Everything was in order and professional from the research thru recordings. Excellent job.

Rich,
I was referring to your generalization of all lawyers in West Virginia.

I doubt spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on West Virginia real estate qualifies you to conclude all WV lawyers behave as you experienced. I happen to know more than a few who are quite competent.

You were out of line and it looks like a few others have taken you to task as well, although they've expressed themselves in a much more polite manner.

No, I am not a "realtor", (nor am I a lawyer).

By the way, if the explanation of the Shakespeare reference was an attempt to insult me, save it. I'm way too old to be bothered by that!

Respectfully,
Dave

Ya' see YELLOWSNOW - it's not just ME !!!

This is getting ridiculous. It's not where you're from but who you know. Half the guys working construction in Northern Virginia come from West Virginia! Plenty of liars, cheaters, thieves, and incompetents working all trades in the DC area. Probably higher per capita even. A lot more asses up here too.

Contractors, skilled labor... they go to where the $$$ is. It has been my experience that a lot of the workers/ property management contrators, etc... look at the second home owners as cash cows. They overcharge for any service provided and even brag about it to each other. Not all are that way, but there are some who want to rape and pillage anyone they can. I was just up checking the progress of some work being done for our HOA and had to begin another punch list. It will eventually get done, however it's like the mating of elephants... it takes two years to get results after a lot of groaning and screaming. My biggest peeve is paying for services not rendered.

I just wanted to toss in a note of that I live here in WV and know exactly what everyone is talking about and AGREE with you all too. Many realtors in this area, at least in Hardy County anyway, view anyone coming west from Northern Va as begin super rich and big time spenders. Almost to the point that locals feel it's their obligation to relieve those Northern VA folks of their wealth via what ever means nessecariy. There is a realtor in mainstreet Wardensville (I won't mention the name, but look beside the IGA when traveling through next time) who I've heard nothing but shady things about. Various things include trying to aquire property from current land owners and selling property that doesn't have right of way access, etc. Then coming back and telling potential buyers they were informed, when they weren't, and passing it off as a days worth of business. Realtors in Moorefield are even worse.

However it's been interesting because one of my largest consulting clients is a mortgage company based out of Winchester (locations in Potomac & Manassas). Normally most people consider realtors, mortgage companies and such to be the low lying scum out to suck wallets dry. While that may tbe the cast most times, I've been impressed with my client in the things they do to hold themselves above the rest professionally.

So if anyone needs help with purchasing corporate or resident property and needs a bit of help in getting connected with reliable people in this area, please let me know. I'm glad to help.

Brad

Btw - wasn't there a discussion regarding some sort of highway in this area or something on these forums?

Oh yeah...How many contractors and lawyers will it take to finish that damn bridge?

I'm betting more than it takes to build the WW2 monument in DC.

Interesting stuff. I live in what was once the largest subdivision in WV, but seems to be just a lil ole community in Jefferson Co these days. I had an undeveloped lot next to my house, and one across the street. This winter, someone started building on the lot across the street. The first thing they did was come in and put in a well, not 30 feet from my septic systems leech field. It seems that long before my house or many others were built, someone tried to put a mobile home on that lot but was stopped by the then existing HOA. The septic system had been put in the back yard. instead of putting a new one in the right spot, they used the old one for the new house. So... who would build a house with this problem... No one apareantly, as this house was built on spec and is up for sale semi completed.

Oh yeah... WV roads.. not built.. like corridor H... that was the topic.

said subdivision I live in has only one way in or out. Of course, that's not the way it is supposed to be, but we are surrounded on 2 sides by the VA border, so of course roads were graded, but end at the border on those two sides.

Hey, I thought that this was a "Welcome Clay" forum....What a hy-jack! Clay, this happens all the time. Soon there will be threads about summer vrs winter beers, moonshine mountain, etc... Then again, what else can you do when it's the "unseason?"

Just a few things I noticed at the McCauley Bridges this past week... First is that on Friday when I drove through at 10am, there was about 2 dozen men on the site doing everything from painting the piers of the bridge to walking the bridge deck. It looks like they were setting rebar for the parapet walls. All of the piers are getting a 'state park brown' colored coating of paint which I'm assuming is to be more asthetically pleasing to the eye to match in with the scenic views. Also so massive D10 sized dump trucks were carrying rocks and soil from the westbound side of the bridge to the east bound side.

In other news, at the base of Sandy Ridge where Rt 55 meets Trout Run Cut-Off road, construction crews were laying down and grading fine gravel for the access road to Corridor-H. Based on their current progress I would roughly estimate that they will have this part paved and ready to be used within a month. However use of that won't be allowed until the bridges are open.

Speaking of paving, Corridor-H began receiving the final grade of pavement from the Lost River Sinks Bridges to the McCauley Bridges this week. This pavement is the thinnest, but smoothest layer that is put on roadways. An engineering friend of mine said that construction companies often pave in 4-5 layers when creating roads. The final layer is never installed until just shortly before highway openings to ensure that the weather doesn't erode this layer.

Maybe mid-summer might be a realistic opening after all...??

I just wanted to send out an update that the Moorefield Examiner ran an article regarding the construction of Corridor H's section from Moorefield to Foreman. Basically the article wasn't much of a big article, rather it was just stating that this next section won't be complete until 2009.

I wonder if that section will beat the McCauley bridges to open...?

Did someone say moonshine mountain and summer beer?

The realtors out in Kansas seem very competent- I'm happy with my first home purchase. Shame there weren't more of them out here.

Not much else to add, but I couldn't help but write something when Moonshine was posted...

btw Welcome Clay and boy do those WV roads get built slowly!

No complaints allowed, at least you don't have to live AND drive on these roads every single day. heh.

I can't wait for Wardensville-Moorefield to be open. Once that happens, I think I'll abandon the northern route (I HATE driving Rt. 220 from Cumberland-Keyser- too damn slow) and from Baltimore I'll take 70w to Frederick, cut across 340-7 to Winchester, head south on 81 then take 55/Corridor H. I travel during non rush hour times, so DC traffic won't be an issue.

bawalker,

What's the latest news on the Baker to Wardensville section? Do you think I'll have some new road to drive on and be able to get to Canaan a little faster next weekend, or will I have to wait until one of my trips back home to Elkins this fall to take advantage of that section?

I see on the WVDOH website that the contracts for the bridge across the South Branch at Moorefield and a couple more sections towards Forman are being awarded next week, about a year after they originally said they were to be awarded.

Thanks.

Packyderm1,

There definately is no way that the highway will be open by this weekend. The way things have been going construction wise, I'm putting October as an optimistic opening date. I have been driving on the 'closed' sections occasionally just to get a feel of what is left to do, what it will be like to drive it, etc.

As of this week the the east/west lanes were finished just outside of Wardensville. Both lanes will merge together into a single 2 lane road joining current Rt 55/259 at the old Trout Run-Cutoff road entrance. This has been paved and has guardrails in place, however is blocked from current traffic accessing it. Once this is opened, travelers will be able to turn left on CH just before they make their first ascent on Sandy Ridge after leaving Wardensville. Initially this will just be a large and wide 2 lane road that will make a bit of an incline upto where the phase 1 earth moving created the intial roadway foundation. From there the road will split into it's 4 lane setup.

This modified entrance to CH is only temporary (depending on if the W`ville to VA is ever built at all). If the remaining sections ever get built, then this entrance will be demolished, two bridges will span Trout Run-Cutoff with a U turn exit placed about 100-200yds away from the current entrance. The highway will go back to being a 4 lane highway crossing the road there.

Now as for the McCauley bridges, the last time I checked the other week, they haven't yet started pouring the parapet walls on the bridges. The steel rebar was in place, the wooden forms were going up, and the earth had been moved to fill in the areas around the bridge. The decking was finished, but still a way from completely finishing the bridge.

Also crews intially started placing the final layer of pavement from the Lost River Sinks bridges to the Sauerkraut run Bridges. This is a total distance of no more than 1/2 mile at best so I'm not really sure why they paved that and not much more. However the highway needs final paving from the Saurkraut Run Bridges all the way to the McCauley bridges. This is a distance of about 4 miles. Once those things are done, the highway should be open for business.

Just a note to future drivers of this highway. Due to the orginial lawsuits by local citizens and groups, the highway was re-routed many times and re-designed many more from it's orginial routes & plans. This has caused alot of twists and turns in this highway so just because it's a 4 lane highway, doesn't mean you can take it at 65mph+ in spots.

The first of one such spot will be when drivers are leaving Wardensville heading west. Upon cresting Sandy Ridge going past Squirrel Gap road, drivers begin their descent for about a mile. The road bears left hanging along the steep edge of Sandy Ridge. With about 1/2 mile left, drivers continue bearing left around a wide sweeping turn before entering a bit of a straight-a-way about 1/2 mile long. The roadway is declining at a grade of around 5% heading directly into the Lost River Sinks bridges which make a veering right hand turn. It's hard to see this when driving beneath them, but the bridges are not only making an elevation change, they are making a fairly sharp banked right hand turn. I tried driving them at 65mph, and had to left off the throttle down to around 55mph to feel comfortable on those bridges. I would NOT be surprised if accidents occur in less than optimal weather when entering/exiting these bridges. BE CAREFUL!

The second dangerous driving spot will be leading upto and entering the McCauley bridges. If the Sinks bridges were bad, these are gonna make the sinks look like cake. There are already speed limit signs posted within 1 mile on the roadway of the McCauley bridges warning drivers to slow down to 55MPH before driving on the bridges. When approaching these bridges from the top of Pine Ridge, you begin a descent for about 2 miles before beginning to make a wide left hand swooping turn without 3/4 of a mile to go before the bridges. Just as the bridges start to come into sight drivers will begin making a bit sharper right hand turn on the bridges which have upto a 3' banked curve. What I didn't realize until I looked at some maps, is that this bridge is ENTIRELY a 90* turn. Meaning that when you intially enter from either side of the bridge, at first you won't be able to see the other side exiting the bridge.

These two bridges are built this way because of the "Rudy House" (white house tucked back on the opposite side of the road from the river) which was added to the national history registrar in or around 1999. This was done intentionally to block CH. However since CH couldn't touch the house or it's property, they pushed the design plans to go around it. This resulted in almost an S shaped approach to and across the bridges. Two years ago I spoke with an iron/steel worker on the bridges who lives in Petersburg. He felt that engineers pushed the bridges forward that while they are structurally sound, that they will be too dangerous to drive on in less than optimal weather conditions. Even then he said he'll be scared to drive on them. He said that it wouldn't surprise him if someone is killed on those bridges within the first 5 years of use.

So just be careful when that section opens up. It'll still be quicker to get to CV, however do slow down when driving across these sections.

Brad,
Thanks for the update. Sounds like some progress is being made and we will be able to use the new section this winter.
Can't wait!! And thanks for the warning!!
The Colonel

You are welcome for that information. Hopefully if it doesn't rain or storm this weekend like it's continually been doing, I will get some pics.

Just checked into the CH update page the WVDH maintains (http://www.wvcorridorh.com/) and much to my surprise--well, not really--they are now saying the Wardensvill-Baker leg will be open "late 2006." I say the over/under is March 2007.

It wouldn't be surprising at best. I walked the new modified entrance/exit to CH at Wardensville. The way the construction crews created this new entrance/exit, it appears as if the state doesn't have plans on extending CH beyond Wardensville for several more years yet. However this section is fully paved, guard rails, and all and is ready for immediate use. They have it blocked off/not connected to the current 55/259. The bridges... well they are chugging along slow as ever.

Just an update on how the new entrance/exit just west of Wardensville will work. As a motorist, you will be leaving Wardensville heading west as you currently do to get to T-Line/CV. Upon crossing the tiny Trout Run bridge (end of town limits) you drive past Jerry's Autobody on your left before being on a 1/2mile long straight-away with nice homes on both sides of the road. At the end of the straight-away the incline to Sandy Ridge begins before climbing up that ridge and driving on those 2 sharp turns.

Anyway, construction crews will be modifying the current 55/259 so that the road will bear left onto another 2-lane road. More than likely the traffic patterns will be shifted left while there will be a stop sign/turn off to go up Sandy ridge on the old way. After veering left motorists will be on an "S" style turn that will begin about a 4-5% grade incline.

The interesting thing to note is that where this current 2 lane S road is at, is where the bridges of Trout Run CutOff road were orginially planned for. However appearantly extending past Wardensville is out of the picture (short term-moderate long term?) so crews this past spring went in and dug out the mountains of earth that was pushed there by the previous construction crews to create the abutments for the planned bridges. I can be sure of this because at the tops of these mountains of earth, there are shaped roadbeds waiting for grading/paving.

Once rising to the top of the mountains of earth, the 2 lane road divides into 4 lanes proceeding to Moorefield as normal. When heading back east after a trip, you will definately see where the modifications for the 2 lane part were made. It was more impromptu and joins up to the 4 lane road in a weird way. I can tell from an engineering standpoint they did it that way in case the road was ever to be extended further. However, as for now I'd say Wardensville looks to be the terminating spot.

No land acquisitions have been made between the current ending of CH and North Mountain Rt 55. I have many computer customers in this proposed area and currently more houses are being built in the future right of way. In my estimation, one of two things will happen...

1.) There will be a massive citizen revolt against the highway due to how many homes it'll take. Being I'm a native of Wardensville and drive this area all the time, there are at least 75-100 homes currently in the way of the proposed 2-4 mile extension of it to the VA border. If VA still refuses to build it, I don't see the state taking 75+ homes plus constructing it at billions in cost just to make it 4 miles longer.

2.) If VA still refuses to build it, I don't see WV even pushing it beyond it's current terminating point. I look for Virginia to leverage the fact that they don't want it with the fact that it'd displace as many homes/families as it will in just a small consolidated area.

I've not been too far off in my expectations and estimations before, so I'd have to say look for it to be complete to Elkins decades before there is ever a push for the Wville to VA to be done. Plus time will hurt WV as more homes are built & families move into the proposed path. It could be 200+ homes before all is said and done.

Brad

The interesting thing is that a WV congressman elected a year and half ago, doesn't support pushing corridor-h into taking that amount of homes and many of the people there that I have talked to intend to fight it. Either way, it's going to be interesting. A while back in the Winchester Star, VA Rep. Frank Wolfe continued to say that they had no need to be part of WV's pet projects and would focus their funds, time, energy and such into where things really are needed in VA.

In all of this, it still baffles my mind why the state didn't use Rt 50 to be the target area of roadway expansion since it was already an economically developed area for the most part. Had the towns, cities, and established traffic volume to support it.

Maybe it's about time I start running for political offices and making big stinks by standing up to current politicians and going nose to nose and not backing down. I somehow find ways to and enjoy pissing big people off. Especially when it's for a worthy and just cause.

Based on what I've seen with the push for the Lost River dams and now various parts of a 40 year old plan pertaining to the appalachian highway systems... to me it's fundamentally flawed to push something this heavily based on plans 3-4 decades old. Although it's an excuse for the big-wigs to keep on pushing something without re-examining the issue to begin with.

Just like with the Lost River dams... the one for the Lower Cove (my family's land), the NRCS, and PVSCD are working off of plans and engineering documents from 1974. When asked to redo their plans, they rebuffed saying all the information was up todate and adequate for today. Then again that same group of people aren't even filing the correct documents before building dams. They are worse than kids playing in a sandbox.

hey johnfmh, Robert Moses destroyed square miles of middle class housing in NYC and then... he got his name on a great beach. Whenever I go back to LI, I make sure I relieve myself by his monument at the entrance to the Robert Moses State Park.

You sound like me with Robert C Byrd 'memorials'. ;-)

The area now called COOP City used to be a middle class Italian and Irish neighborhood in the North Bronx. These 15 thousand or so people, most if not all who owned their own homes, were thrown on the streets to make way for COOP City that you see now as the last part of NYC before you enter Westchester County and Connecticut. Mr Moses was the instrument that vacated the neighborhood. My grandparents lost their home that they had inherited from their parents and moved to Long Island. They were always sad about losing their home and so are we. So good luck to you in protecting your patrimony.

Too bad there is a 14 mile stretch of two lane road to contend with between 81 and CH....

The folks in Star Tannery are going to be LOVING life! ;-)

Actually that would present the greatest challenge financially for Virginia. I had a professor who lived in that area and said that different proposed routes he heard would take out numerous farms, land, etc. With the price of land skyrocketing on the VA side of the mountain, Virginia is in a serious lack of cash to pay for taking homes. I honestly don't see CH to 81 happening in the next 25 years at the earliest. If finances get tighter or we have an economic slump, I see that 25 turning into 35 or longer.

There is actually a bright side to Virginia's reluctance to build its part of CH. It will create a barrier for the faint of heart who don't want to drive the 2-lane, 18 mile stretch from 81 to Wardensville, keeping the numbers going to CV to a manageable level. For those accustomed to driving this route, it really isn't bad and the short stretch up and over the mountain is a fairly minor impediment. And once you are on the completed CH from Wardensville to Davis it will truly be almost heaven.

Yeah, but I see the makings of one hellacious speed trap.....

Yes, I have already been ticketed on the stretch between the gas station/minimart just off 81 and the Mobil Station. Nonetheless, one can still make reasonable time (a couple of long passing zones and not all that many curves) until you reach the new CH. I just don't think practically that the unwillingness to build the VA portion of the road will have serious real world consequences and may be an unintended benefit who like a relatively uncrowded CV.

From all of my years driving to college at Lord Fairfaix CC in Middletown, the VA rt 55 is cake. Even during major snows. It's the 4 mile segment of coming off the mountain on WV that is dangerous and where I've seen the most wrecks. When I listen to the scanner, there are wrecks on the WV side of the mountain in just regular rainy weather because of slick roads and people driving faster than they should.

in the 4 years of driving Rt 55 to college, I noticed on two spots where cops like to sit and watch for speeders. First is after you veer left passing Lebanon Church and going up the bit of a small hill. On your left there is a grove of well kept pine trees and a VERY wide parking area. I've seen troopers sit there before. The second place is less than a mile away after going down the otherside of the hill and hitting that long straight a way in the middle of the open fields. From there there is a small country road off to the right midway through which is surrounded by trees and a bit of embankment. I've seen troopers sit there numerous times.

You are right however, not connecting CH to the 81 side of things prevents unnessecary traffic from spoiling the natural beauty by simply overcrowding things. Not just for CV, but for this county and others in general. In fact one thing hat is nearly laughable in this area is an newspaper paid advertisement ran in the harrisonburg papers. It talks local RANCHERS who are selling off some of their land for the millions of northern VA'ers flooding into this area. The whole ad is a crock because I know who the farmer is, is desperate for money and is working with realators to sell some land while maintaining his full time farm. First of all... RANCHES in hardy county? What a bunch of BS. This ad was so heavy laden with ammateur marking BS that these people were literally salivating through the article.

I have a copy of that for anyone who wants to see it.

Bradley

Also the housing market in this area is definately a buyers market. Taxes have went up, locals aren't selling as fast. And a developer put in TWO $425,000 houses a year ago on a few acres of land.. they haven't sold yet. I was told by someone close to the source that the developer wants to attack the big DC dollars by building bigger and bigger and turning it not into just a subdivision, but an exclusive gated community here in hardy county. The houses are yet to sell.

WOOHOO 900 posts! I'm still holding firm in 5th place only 139 behind jimmy.