CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Four interstate bridges close to the Westmoreland exit in Charleston on Interstate-77 will renovated in the coming months but there shouldn’t be major traffic concerns.
This according to Larry Clegg, Design Project Manager for CDM Smith, who is contractor for this state Division of Highways project called the Tom Williams Family +3 Design Build.
The I-77 project is being constructed in two major phases with the northbound phase up first, starting in April, followed by phase southbound starting in late June.
“The northbound lanes will be transferred to the southbound roadway and bridges while the deck will be replaced northbound,” Clegg said. “The traffic then shifts opposite. The southbound will be under construction and then the traffic will be on the northbound lanes.”
“We did a traffic model for the interstate system and shutting down a lane in each direction will increase the delay. It basically slows down traffic but it doesn’t ever completely stop it.”
During Phase I, northbound I-77 traffic will be routed to the southbound side utilizing median cross-over. During Phase II, the opposite will occur, cutting the overall lanes on the interstate from six to four lanes.
The bridges impacted on I-77 will be Westmoreland Road, Tom Williams Family, Spring Street, and Cora Street. Once these are complete, the second portion will begin at the Danner Road Bridge on I-64 just west of the Oakwood Road Interchange. No official date for the Danner Road project has been set yet.
The decks will be replaced on all four bridges named on I-77 as the Spring Street Bridge will just be resurfaced. The Westmoreland Road Ramps will be closed during these phases as northbound during Phase 1 and southbound during Phase II.
This information was show to the public Thursday night in displays and a presentation by the DOH and CDM Smith at the Habitat for Humanity Homeowner Education and Community Center in downtown Charleston.
“Look at them, they need replaced,” Clegg said. “There is a lot of distress on those and we have to do it at some point.”