BERKELEY SPRINGS, W.Va. — A major section of a new bypass is open in the Eastern Panhandle.
The state Division of Highways allowed traffic to begin using the 3.4-mile southern section of the four-lane US 522 Berkeley Springs Bypass in Morgan County Wednesday morning.
State Transportation Secretary Stephen T. Rumbaugh said the bypass will keep commercial truck traffic out of downtown Berkeley Springs.
“The opening of the southern corridor of the Berkeley Springs Bypass marks a significant milestone in improving safety and mobility for residents and travelers in the region,” Rumbaugh said. “This new segment provides a more efficient route for traffic. When completed, the bypass will provide for a more efficient route for commercial trucks, helping to ease longstanding congestion in the town of Berkeley Springs.”
The DOH said approximately 30 percent of traffic in the area is commercial.
Morgan County Commissioner Bill Clarke said the bypass looks toward what will happening in the years ahead in the Eastern Panhandle.
“I think this road is about the future too with all that’s happening,” Clarke said Wednesday on Panhandle Live on WEPM Radio in Martinsburg.
According to the DOH, “In October 2020, Trumbull Corporation was awarded a contract for $59.8 million to build the lower leg of a bypass around Berkeley Springs, beginning south of Winchester Grade Road and extending north of Martinsburg Road. The project included construction of several bridges, three new at-grade intersections, and a new interchange with existing WV 9 and Martinsburg Road.”
Construction continues on the northern section of the bypass which isn’t expected to be completed until 2027.
Clarke said there are backups on 522 on Fridays, Mondays and weekends. He said the bypass should help relieve the congestion.
Clarke said he has heard some criticism about the project but the positives outweigh any negatives.
“There’s all kinds of opinions about this–there are a lot of Facebook engineers I’ve noticed–but you’ll see the obvious benefits,” he said. “We had to step up our game and make sure our litle community stayed a hot place to be.”
WEPM Reporter Luke Wiggs contributed to this story.