MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Another step toward the start of construction of the planned Harmony Grove Interchange on Interstate 79 in Monongalia County has been completed by the West Virginia Division of Highways.
DOH officials reported to the Monongalia County Commission that the bidding process is officially underway for the project aimed to support development around the Morgantown Industrial Park following the approval of an intersection justification report that took place in November.
“The Harmony Grove exit we mentioned, the IRJ came through, so that project is full speed ahead,” Monongalia County Commission President Jeff Arnett said. “The state has already sent out a request for bids for the engineering, which is an incredibly quick turnaround after that.”
The exit will directly serve the Morgantown Industrial Park. Based on studies supported on a state level, up to 100 trucks that support businesses ranging from distribution to waste disposal will make use of the interchange, in turn alleviating an ongoing concern for city residents who live near state roads around the downtown Morgantown area. This will also support developments such as the Mountaintop Beverage facility and other contributors to the approximately $1.1 billion in economic impact provided by the industrial park determined back in 2023.
“I hate to use the term, everybody uses it, but to me that exit can be a real game changer and really make that industrial park expand even further, and that’s just going to bring good-paying jobs, so appreciate them that work on that,” Arnett said.
The completion and approval of the IJR, along with the starting of the bid process, completes a close to half-decade process just for establishing financing and design work alone for the county leaders.
“Would like to thank the DOH for jumping on that and keeping that project moving forward,” said Arnett.
Along with financial support from Morgantown Industrial Park developer Enrout Properties to pay for the feasibility study, around $1.5 million in federal funds were allocated for the project on behalf of U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito back in 2023, with support offered on a state level in 2022 by then-Gov. Jim Justice before his election to the U.S. Senate in 2024.