HARPERS FERRY, W.Va. –Work on US Rt. 340 that has blocked off that road and created lengthy detours is now halfway through its expected 90 days.
The state DOH reports the work continues to remove dangerous rocks and debris from a mountainside high above the highway south of Harpers Ferry. Triton Construction is doing the $10.2 million in improvements which include removing rock and installing rockfall barriers on a one-mile section of the highway where it hugs the Shenandoah River.
“Approximately 1,500 cubic yards of rock have been removed so far. That’s about 2,300 tons, and is enough to fill 150 tri-axle trucks,” according to an update from West Virginia Division of Highways. “Boulders the size of cars have also been coming down, sometimes unexpectedly. That’s why the WVDOH chose to close US 340 completely during the project instead of keeping one lane open.”
A posted detour continues. It includes WV 9 and Virginia SR 9 and Virginia SR 671.
DOH District 5 Engineer Lee Thorne said it’s important to keep the detour in place.
“You never know when a rock is going to come down,” he said. “It sounds like pecking, then all of a sudden there’s a huge crash, and this boulder comes down.”
The agency has adjusted traffic signals and tweaked traffic control along the detour route.
“There are still delays, but we’re on the downhill side of the project,” Thorne said.
The WVDOH encourages all motorists to allow extra time when traveling near Harpers Ferry and the surrounding area. Motorists can keep track of the project here.
More updates on traffic conditions can be found here.