West Virginia regulators agree to consider whether Corridor H could ‘go north,’ amid push from community groups

THOMAS — For the past two decades, John Bright has owned the Purple Fiddle, an award-winning music venue tucked inside downtown Thomas, above the river. It’s now a Tucker County institution, catering to both locals and tourists who come to visit the neighboring towns of Davis and Thomas.

The old, historic storefront that was once a general store is now adorned with a purple fiddle. Inside, a stage lays in the back corner, colorful T-shirts are stacked on the wall of shelves behind the bar and various knickknacks and awards are scattered throughout the room, filling the place.

But the appeal of both Thomas and Davis — their histories and surrounding landscape — is at risk, according to Bright, as West Virginia regulators look to complete the nine-mile stretch from Parsons to Davis that is needed to finish Corridor H.

For years, the West Virginia Division of Highways has been pushing for their preferred route , cutting directly between Thomas and Davis. And for years, residents and business owners like Bright have supported an alternative route north of Thomas, completely avoiding the two towns.

“The charm of this area is the beauty in the old historic towns,” he said. “So, don’t ruin the moment, the main attraction, with the highway right between the two towns.”

Despite being previously unwilling to do so, the DOH is now considering an alternative route due to pressure from the Go North Corridor H, an alliance of local residents, business owners and environmental groups who have advocated for another route.

“They’ve asked us to look at an optional alignment that goes north of Thomas, and generally in this corridor,” said Jason Foster, DOH’s chief engineer of development.

As part of that process, the agency hosted an informational open house at Tucker County High School in late February, where they shared updated maps with the alternative road and allowed community members to speak with agency officials.

Standing near a map of the two possible routes , Foster answered a steady stream of questions from the community throughout the night.

“So, that’s what I guess we’re here to tell everybody: we’re looking at these two and trying to bring these two alignments to a comparison point so that we can make an informed decision on which one is the least impact,” he said.

To Judy Rodd, who is part of the Go North alliance, the DOH’s decision is a step in the right direction.

“But it’s only the beginning,” said Rodd, executive director of the environmental group Friends of the Blackwater. “We want them to choose the northern route, that’s the real win.”

For others, the study is something the state agency should have done from the very beginning. Susan Rogers Rosenblum, a Davis resident, describes the move as “an appropriate step in the process.”

“The DOH is here because they have to be here. Because we put their feet to the fire,” said Rosenblum, the chair of the rivers committee for the West Virginia Highlands Conservancy.

Regardless of the DOH’s decision, there are still concerns, including over the alternative route the agency has chosen to consider, according to Rodd. The alliance is seeking to extend the current public comment period , which is supposed to end later this month, to allow them to study the alternative route further and provide adequate feedback to the DOH before the agency completes its study.

The Go North alliance has cited a litany of reasons for an alternative route, including warnings that the current route would have significant impacts on the Monongahela National Forest, Blackwater Falls State Park, the historic coke ovens along the Blackwater River and a collection of other watersheds.

As the DOH reviews the last stretch of the corridor, the agency will complete a supplemental Environmental Impact Statement to study the two routes. This will include a variety of factors, including environmental and socioeconomic impacts, according to Foster.

The draft of the supplemental study is set to be completed in May, with the agency holding a public hearing on the draft in June. Whichever route they choose, the DOH estimates construction on the route from Parsons to Davis will begin by next March.

Although some proponents of the alternative route are pleased to see it be considered by the DOH, there is still skepticism about whether anything will come from it.

“I’m very happy that they’re taking the north alternative seriously now and they’re actually studying it as a real alternative whereas before it seemed like they were just giving us lip service,” said Bright.

“Maybe they still are,” he added. “But they’re at least having to go through the studies and present an argument either way.”

West Virginia regulators agree to consider whether Corridor H could ‘go north,’ amid push from community groups appeared first on Mountain State Spotlight , West Virginia's civic newsroom.