West Virginia Route 9: Difference between revisions

West Virginia Route 9
West Virginia Route 9
Route information
	Maintained by WVDOH
Length	74.0 mi (119.1 km)
Major junctions
West end	MD 51 near Paw Paw
	WV 29 near Pin Oak; US 522 in Berkeley Springs; I-81 near Martinsburg; US 11 near Martinsburg; WV 45 in Martinsburg; WV 480 in Kearneysville; US 340 at Charles Town
East end	VA 9 near Keyes Gap
Location
Country	United States
State	West Virginia
Counties	Morgan, Hampshire, Morgan, Berkeley, Jefferson
Highway system
	West Virginia State Highway System; Interstate; US; State;

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Revision as of 17:17, 27 September 2010

West Virginia Route 9 is a major east–west state highway located in the eastern extents of West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle. The western terminus of the route is at the Maryland state line north of Paw Paw, where WV 9 becomes Maryland Route 51 upon crossing the Potomac River. The eastern terminus is at the Virginia state line at Keyes Gap near Mannings, West Virginia, where WV 9 continues onward as State Route 9.

With no east–west US Highway in the region, WV 9 acts as the major east–west transportation artery between Morgan, Berkeley, and Jefferson counties. WV 9 briefly enters Hampshire County where it intersects with West Virginia Route 29 near Pin Oak.

Construction

West Virginia Route 9 is currently undergoing a major upgrade. There are three distinct sections for which upgrades are planned - the Virginia line to Charles Town, Charles Town to Martinsburg, and Martinsburg to Berkeley Springs. Only the middle stretch has seen significant construction

U.S. Senator Robert C. Byrd began securing funding for the projects in the early 1990s. Shortly thereafter, a short portion of the road along the southern edge of Martinsburg was upgraded to four lanes, from Queen Street to Kelly Island Road. In the mid-2000s, a short stretch was also four-laned from I-81 west to Harlan Springs Road

The next significant improvement did not take place until September 2007, when a four-mile (6 km) stretch of the upgraded road opened up from Charles Town, through Bardane to Leetown Road in Kearneysville.

In early 2008, the future west-bound lanes of traffic were opened to two-way traffic from Kelly Island Road to, and over, Opequon Creek. This is allowing for the former road surface to be pulled up and the future eastbound lanes to be built. It also allowed for the demolition of the old bridge over the Opequon, which had been the site of several fatal accidents. Work continues on the four-laning from Opequon Creek to Kearneysville, as well.

Construction has also begun on the stretch from the Virginia line to Charles Town. A pair of new bridges span US Route 340 south of Charles Town, and there are closures of Bloomery Road, west of the river, and Hosler Road, east of the river, to facilitate overpass construction ^[2]. The construction path carries Route 9 away from its current winding route across the Shenandoah River and the Blue Ridge. Instead, it follows a straight path near Cattail Run, connecting to existing Virginia State Route 9 right at Keyes Gap. This plan has met opposition from Virginia residents, who are concerned about increasing traffic along the narrow, winding stretch of Virginia State Route 9 through the town of Hillsboro.

The western leg of Route 9 from Martinsburg to Berkeley Springs has seen even less evidence of progress than the eastern leg.

There has been no discussion of expanding Route from Berkeley Springs to Paw Paw, as it is lightly traveled, across the winding Cacapon River valley.

In April 2009, a short 1.3 mile section of the new Route 9 was opened from the Eastern Regional Jail to the Opequon Creek bridge. Construction is still going on from that point to Charles Town. A 4 mile section of Route 9 from the Eastern Regional Jail to Short Road should be completed by the end of 2009. Construction from Short Road to Route 9's present start point at Leetown Road is under construction now and should be completed in August 2010.

Junction list

County	Location	Road	Notes
Morgan	Maryland state line	MD 51	Western terminus
Hampshire	Paw Paw	WV 29 (National Pike)	Northern terminus of WV 29
Morgan	Berkeley Springs	US 522 north (Washington Street)	West end of US 522 concurrency
Morgan	Berkeley Springs	US 522 south (Washington Street)	East end of US 522 concurrency
Berkeley	Hedgesville	WV 901 (Mary Street)	Western terminus of WV 901
	Martinsburg	I-81	Interchange, exit 16
		US 11 north	West end of US 11 concurrency
		WV 45 east (Moler Avenue)	West end of WV 45 concurrency
		US 11 south (King Street)	East end of US 11 concurrency
		WV 45 west	East end of WV 45 concurrency
Jefferson	Kearneysvile	WV 480	Southern terminus of WV 480
	Charles Town	US 340 north	Interchange, west end of US 340 concurrency
	Charles Town	US 340 south	Interchange, east end of US 340 concurrency
	Virginia state line	SR 9 (Charles Town Pike)	Eastern terminus, continues as VA 9

References

^ Distance calculated using Microsoft MapPoint mapping software.
^ http://www.transportation.wv.gov/highways/districts/district-five/Pages/work-zones.aspx

External links

WVDOT WV Route 9

[LengthMapPoint-1] Distance calculated using Microsoft MapPoint mapping software.

[2] ttp://www.transportation.wv.gov/highways/districts/district-five/Pages/work-zones.aspx

[1]

[2]

@@ Line 35: / Line 35: @@
 In early 2008, the future west-bound lanes of traffic were opened to two-way traffic from Kelly Island Road to, and over, [[Opequon Creek]]. This is allowing for the former road surface to be pulled up and the future eastbound lanes to be built. It also allowed for the demolition of the old bridge over the Opequon, which had been the site of several fatal accidents. Work continues on the four-laning from Opequon Creek to Kearneysville, as well.
-Preliminary engineering and design work has been done on the stretch from the [[Virginia]] line to [[Charles Town]]. The only noticeable construction on the leg is a pair of bridges which span [[US Route 340]] south of [[Charles Town]], and one mile of clearing and earthwork extending east from those bridges to Cattail Rd. The path of that clearing carries Route 9 away from its current winding route across the [[Shenandoah River]] and the [[Blue Ridge Mountains|Blue Ridge]]. Instead, it follows a straight path near Cattail Run, connecting to existing [[Virginia Route 9|Virginia State Route 9]] right at [[Keyes Gap]]. This plan has met opposition from Virginia residents, who are concerned about increasing traffic along the narrow, winding stretch of [[Virginia Route 9|Virginia State Route 9]] through the town of [[Hillsboro, Loudoun County, Virginia|Hillsboro]].
+Construction has also begun on the stretch from the [[Virginia]] line to [[Charles Town]]. A pair of new bridges span [[US Route 340]] south of [[Charles Town]], and there are closures of Bloomery Road, west of the river, and Hosler Road, east of the river, to facilitate overpass construction <ref>http://www.transportation.wv.gov/highways/districts/district-five/Pages/work-zones.aspx</ref>. The construction path carries Route 9 away from its current winding route across the [[Shenandoah River]] and the [[Blue Ridge Mountains|Blue Ridge]]. Instead, it follows a straight path near Cattail Run, connecting to existing [[Virginia Route 9|Virginia State Route 9]] right at [[Keyes Gap]]. This plan has met opposition from Virginia residents, who are concerned about increasing traffic along the narrow, winding stretch of [[Virginia Route 9|Virginia State Route 9]] through the town of [[Hillsboro, Loudoun County, Virginia|Hillsboro]].
 The western leg of Route 9 from Martinsburg to Berkeley Springs has seen even less evidence of progress than the eastern leg.