Corridor-H NOW OPEN!
October 24, 2006
27 posts
12 users
8k+ views
As of this afternoon, traffic has now been fully directed onto Corridor-H from Wardensville to Baker. I traveled it after lunch and travel time from the bottom of Sandy Ridge to Baker is approximately 7 minutes.
More info to come!
Hal la frickin lu ya! You bummed me out earlier with that Oct 31st predict Mr BWalk..I'm heading to the valley next week & really wanted to try the route. I'm planning on taking 220 north to Oldfields & taking 5/2/313 to Scherr after exiting at Morefield..Thanks for the info!
I haven't officially timed it yet, but it appears a trip on Corridor-H from Wardensville to 220 in Moorefield takes approximately 25-33 minutes.
Drove the new section on my way to CV this morning. WHEEE!
I just cked & the Website says this section is 6.7 miles long...You must have been driving way below the speed limit if it took you 7 minutes Brad.....Wuzzz upp?...Is it longer?
There are significant speed and grade changes on the highway. When getting on the highway upon leaving Wardensville, the speed limit is 50mph for about .75 of a mile on an uphill 6-7% grade. Upon cresting at this hill, you descend towards the Lost River Sinks and can carry an easy 75mph (watch for cops) until you start increasing up Pine Ridge. Once cresting and descending Pine Ridge, you can carry another good speed burst, however you WILL have to slowdown at the McCauley Bridges which ARE 50-55mph.
On average (not counting construction holdups, 6-7min should be a good timeframe for this section.
Cool!! I'll give a 66 to petersburg time in a couple weeks. I need to go visit my folks sometime soon.
Brad: What's your estimate of the net time savings of the new 7 mile section over the old 55? My guesstimate was somewhere around 7-10 minutes.
Tom
Considering in years past it used to take 40-45 minutes to get from Wardensville to Moorefield going the old route, you are now looking at a grand total of about 25 minutes to make it to Moorefield from Wardensville. Savings time is anywhere from 10-15 minutes over original driving times.
Be warned, WV troopers and Sheriff's are now buying 'varied' vehicles for cop cars. No longer do they use Crown Vic's for cop cars, but I'm seeing everything from Dodge Stratus to Dodge Chargers to Ford Excursions. The cops are getting more trigger happy over here.
I'll have pics up shortly of today and yesterdays driving events.
Thanks. I don't need a warning about the troopers on C-H - one nailed me a couple years back doing 73 (going downhill) in a 65 zone late at night with no one else on the road. I called in my guilty plea to the Hardy County Courthouse a month later. I was surprised to find that the ticket was $10 but the court fee something like $135. The bailiff quipped "That's West Virginia for ya'"
Tom
Do the troopers use radar or laser? The new Escort detectors are able to detect the most minute emanations.
I went by Wardensville and took the new route at about 3 PM on Friday, but there was a loooong line of cars as they were still doing some final construction and we waited for about 20 mins to enter. I gather I lost the time savings but it was well worth it...
What is the best route from Herndon to CV & TL? (slight hijack of topic).
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What is the best route from Herndon to CV & TL? (slight hijack of topic).
I am thinking Rt 7 west, I81 south, rt 55 (strasburg,wardensville, moorefield) then 42 N (Petersburg), 93 to Davis
or
stay on 55 South toward Seneca Rock take 33N toward Harmon, take 32N to Davis
For me upon arrival at Moorefield, it depends on the road condition during the wintertime whether it's snowing, sleeting or windy. You need to feel the difference between rt 42 - rt93 and rt 33 - rt32 then you decide which is in your comfort zone for driving under the worst condition.
Back to Corridor H...
Bawalker , what do the local people call the Corridor H nowaday as? .."new 55" "corridor H" "route 55"?
on the OT - beware of fog on 93. It's certainly not always there, but when it is, it can be a pain.
Back to topic - I've wondered that too - you see signs on CH for "old route 55". Does that imply that CH is the "new" route 55?
Clay
How much time will this new opening save for the DC-Valley commute?
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Do the troopers use radar or laser? The new Escort detectors are able to detect the most minute emanations.
The guy that nailed me used radar. I don't carry a detector. In 29 years and probably close to a half-million miles or more of driving at excessive speeds (over 250K miles in RED vehicles) I have only 2 speeding tickets to show for it - the ticket on Corridor H was my first in 27 years. I figure a radar/laser detector will mess with my kharma. Ooops, I've probably screwed it up just talking about it. Whoever or whatever great force is watching over me - I beg your forgiveness.
Official travel time traveling at 65mph on Corridor H: 7 min 10 seconds.
Actually the official moniker amongst the locals is still CorridorH, although the 911 operators and such officially call it Route 55/259, just the same as the former road. However, I have YET to see WV use the designation of US-48 for it which is supposed to be it's final title.
And now the big dilemna for me as I drive to Canaan from Baltimore. Looking for others' opinions on this. Do I:
A) Keep going the 70-68-220 route --or--
B) 70 to Frederick - 340 to 7 into Winchester - pick up 81S to 55W.
The worst part of the current route is 220 from Cumberland to Keyser. There's enough traffic on that road so if I get behind a slow poke I cannot pass!!
Also, any known shortcuts from Moorefield to the valley other than the regular 55-42-93-32 or 55-33-32 routes (must be accessible via car as I do not have AWD or an SUV!)?
RyanC - There are a couple routes from Cumberland to the Moorefield area if you get off of 68. You can come down via Fort Ashby and get into Romney, follow 50 for a few miles to 220 south again. Or you can come across Short Gap bypassing big sections of WV 220.
However looking at your trip plans, I would guess based on terrain and travel times, getting into Winchester and either taking 50 west or 81/55/220 would be your quickest route. However do NOT attempt rt 7 between 4-6pm east of Winchester. It's driving suicide.
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RyanC - There are a couple routes from Cumberland to the Moorefield area if you get off of 68. You can come down via Fort Ashby and get into Romney, follow 50 for a few miles to 220 south again. Or you can come across Short Gap bypassing big sections of WV 220.
However looking at your trip plans, I would guess based on terrain and travel times, getting into Winchester and either taking 50 west or 81/55/220 would be your quickest route. However do NOT attempt rt 7 between 4-6pm east of Winchester. It's driving suicide.
Thanks. I always make sure I'm west of I-81 by 4pm, or don't even leave Bmore until after 6pm- you're right about the traffic!
Since you're more familiar with the area than myself, what would be your preferred route to get from Moorefield to Davis (my place is at the north end of the valley)? I'm leaning towards going the CH route instead of 68 simply because I can't stand traveling 220 from Cumberland to Keyser.
I'm heading to the valley in a couple of days & will be trying CorrH. I plan on picking up cr 15 which is to the right of where H dumps you into moorefield. This will take you thru cunninham on the way to 220 north(cuts a corner..instead of going to morefield to catch 220)..head up 220 north to old fields where you can pick up cr 2 which will take you to Williamsport & cr 5 at which point you take a left & go a short distance to where cr 2 picks back up & you take a right on that.This will take you to falls where you pick upcr3-3(take a right) This will take you thru greenland & on to Scherr where you pick up 93 Which of course takes you to Davis(Via the WV snow country Outback)....Now You asked for a shortcut to the valley from Moorefield & I have given you 1, But I must tell you that I have NEVER taken this route...But I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last nite
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I'm heading to the valley in a couple of days & will be trying CorrH. I plan on picking up cr 15 which is to the right of where H dumps you into moorefield. This will take you thru cunninham on the way to 220 north(cuts a corner..instead of going to morefield to catch 220)..head up 220 north to old fields where you can pick up cr 2 which will take you to Williamsport & cr 5 at which point you take a left & go a short distance to where cr 2 picks back up & you take a right on that.This will take you to falls where you pick upcr3-3(take a right) This will take you thru greenland & on to Scherr where you pick up 93 Which of course takes you to Davis(Via the WV snow country Outback)....Now You asked for a shortcut to the valley from Moorefield & I have given you 1, But I must tell you that I have NEVER taken this route...But I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last nite
Enjoy your trip and if you don't mind, could you post the results and as detailed directions as you can when you get back? Thanks 
Since your house is at the north end of the valley, merging right on 42 in Petersburg and going the Scherr/Mt. Storm route might be quicker for you. I've driven both ways and with Timberline being my destination, the Seneca Rocks Route is about 15 minutes longer. But if your goal is to get to the Davis/Thomas area... you might be a tad quicker going the Scherr Route. One thing I did notice was that the roads going to Scherr seem to be straighter and a tad wider going up the Allegheny Front than the Seneca way.
Doesn't 42 cut off to the right in Petersburg? (assuming one is going towards CV)
Clay
You are right. I swear I'm dyslexic at times.
My house is also at the north end of the valley (Black Bear) and the northern 42/93 Route from Petersburg is 10 to 15 minutes faster than the southern Seneca Rock/Harman route. It is also straighter with fewer mountains to climb and seemingly less traffic. The only caution is that 93 can be very foggy or have white-outs from blowing snow.
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The guy that nailed me used radar.
Yesterday as I was coming back from SS, right after the McCauley bridge, I started sensing a radar, so slowed down. About 30 seconds my detector went bananas and BOTH radar AND laser lit up like a Christmas tree. The problem with laser is that once you're tagged, you're it. So apparently they have both going on in the cars.
