BUFFALO, W.Va. — The state Division of Highways has announced a new intersection at the Buffalo Bridge is Putnam County has opened.
The DOH awarded a $6.3 million contract in February 2025 to have the intersection of state Route 817 (the old Route 35) and state Route 869 realigned creating a straight shot onto the bridge.
The DOH said there were 37 crashes at the oddly configured intersection since 2019. Several of those wrecks involved tractor trailers.
The Buffalo Bridge, which crosses the Kanawha River, was constructed 30 years ago when Toyota West Virginia opened its plant in Buffalo. Google is now planning a data center for the area.
Bear Contracting LLC was the contractor on the new intersection. The DOH said the new configuration will be both safer and smoother.