TUCKER COUNTY, W.Va. — Work on Section 3 of the Kerens to Parsons project on Corridor H (U.S. Route 48) officially started with a groundbreaking ceremony Friday.
Governor Jim Justice along with officials from the West Virginia Department of Transportation joined in for the ceremony in Tucker County.
“My goal is for all of Corridor H to be under contract before I leave office,” Gov. Justice said. “We’re going to finish this road.”
It’s the third of five sections between Kerens and Parsons to be worked on. The projects completion is projected for the fall of 2025.
A successful bid of $49,488,494 was made by A.L.L. Construction Inc. of Mount Storm on the sections of Corridor H. More than seven million yards of dirt are expected to be moved by crews to prepare the section of highway for construction and paving. Grading and drainage work will also take place on an approximately three-mile stretch of the section beginning near the Cheat River Bridge.
Once completed, the Cheat River Bridge will be among the longest bridges in West Virginia, at 3,300 feet. The four-lane bridge will link the 15-mile stretch of Corridor H between Kerens and Parsons with the Parsons and Davis section.
“As I’ve said over and over, the single most important project in our state right now is Corridor H,” Gov. Justice said. “Corridor H will connect all kinds of communities, from Parsons, to Kerens, to Davis, to the state line and far beyond so we can bring more and more prosperity to all of West Virginia.”
When it’s finished, Corridor H will connect Interstate 79 in Weston, WV, to Interstate 81 in Strasburg, VA.
“Not only will this project employ a bunch of people, but travelers will continue to spend all kinds of money in these communities long after construction ends,” said Justice.
There are currently 113 miles of Corridor H open to traffic. 31 miles are left to open, with 15 of those miles under active construction.
Approximately $1.93 billion has been spent on Corridor H, with an estimated $1 billion-worth of work still left.
Secretary of the West Virginia Department of Transportation Jimmy Wriston, and Chairman of the Corridor H Highway Authority Robbie Morris, were also a part of the ceremony Friday afternoon.