|
|
|
|
|
West Virginia TurnpikeThe West Virginia Turnpike is a toll road in the US state of West Virginia. It is also signed as I-77 for its entire length as well as I-64 from Charleston to just south of Beckley. From Beckley, the road extends south to Princeton. Historically, the West Virginia Turnpike was a two-lane road with treacherous curves and a tunnel (which has since been decommissioned). Construction began in 1952, several years before the Eisenhower Interstate System was funded. It was only in 1986 that the entire length of the Turnpike was upgraded to Interstate standards. The road is often referred to simply as "the Turnpike" by locals, since there are no other toll roads in the state. Due to the difficulty and lives lost in construction, it has also been called "88 miles of miracle." History In the mid 20th century, in the years before creation of the U.S. Interstate Highway System in 1956, superhighways in the form of toll roads such as the Pennsylvania Turnpike and the Ohio Turnpike began stimulating economic development and enhancing transportation in the eastern United States. Building a highway through the clouds In 1947, West Virginia's state legislature approved appropriation of funds to study the feasibility of building such a road. Early plans showcased the road as having four-lanes and connecting the north and south extremities of the state, Wheeling and Princeton respectively, with one another. However, this plan was discarded in 1951 when it was decided the cost to be too great. A reduced plan for a two-lane facility between Charleston and Princeton was still very costly. An engineering firm had determined the need for a $5 million tunnel (later named Memorial Tunnel) to connect the road between Paint Creek and Standard. The final price tag on the project was $133 million and was funded through the sale of toll revenue bonds which were to be retired from collection of tolls. Construction began in 1952. Mountains literally had to be moved to complete the job, and five workers lost their lives before the Turnpike was opened in 1954. It was nicknamed "the engineering marvel that beat the mountains," "a motorists's dream," "a highway through the clouds," and "88 miles of miracle." Expansion In the 1960s and 1970s, the growing Interstate Highway System in West Virginia brought free portions of newly-built Interstate 77 from Ohio on the north and Virginia on the south to both ends of the Turnpike. Interstate 64 was completed from the Kentucky border east to Charleston. Work on Interstate 79 extended south from Pennsylvania through Morgantown and Clarksburg to Charleston. Another portion of Interstate 64 was built from Virginia west into the southern portion of the state, but it ended at abruptly at Sam Black Church. These connections brought more traffic to West Virginia than the 2-lane Turnpike could bear. With the increased traffic came increased auto and truck accidents resulting in fatalities. By 1975 the death toll for the 21 year old highway was at 278 and in 1979, 28 fatalities occurred on the Turnpike. The gap on Interstate 64 between Sam Black Church and Charleston forced east-west traffic to use a scenic but treacherous section of U.S. Highway 60 known as the Midland Trail through Rainelle and Ansted before the road descended Gauley Mountain at Hawk's Nest to the Kanawha River Valley to reach Charleston. There were terrible accidents along this stretch and lengthy delays as trucks negotiated the major grades. To resolve both problems, in the 1980s, the West Virginia Turnpike was expanded to four lanes, and the Interstate 64 designation was added between Charleston and a new junction just south of Beckley. The landmark Memorial Tunnel was bypassed through a large open "cut". The cost of improvements was $700 million. Special federal approval for continuation of tolls to cover the 10% state portion of the exceptionally high cost was obtained. A separate a leg east from the junction south of Beckley was built at an additional cost of $300 million to facilitate completion of Interstate 64 through West Virginia. This last section was opened in 1988. WV Turnpike today From its northern terminus at Charleston, to the southern end at Princeton, the turnpike travels a total of 88 miles. At first, the Turnpike parallels the Kanawha River and is mostly level. After Exit 85 (WV 61 to US 60, Chelyan/Cedar Grove), the road takes a sharp right turn and then finds the first tollbooth. Proceeding south, the Turnpike traverses rugged terrain and features several sharp curves and grades greater than 6%, with a speed limit of 60 MPH. This stretch of the Turnpike has seen quite a few accidents over the years, mostly involving trucks or speeding motorists. The midsection of the Turnpike (roughly between Exits 60 and 28) mostly runs along ridge tops and more level areas near the city of Beckley, allowing for a 70 MPH speed limit for automobiles. The last segment (roughly from Exit 28 to Exit 9) has both mountainous and level sections, and retains the 70 MPH speed limit. The Turnpike officially ends at Exit 9 (US 460, Princeton/Pearisburg). I-77 continues south from this point as a freeway, and crosses into Virginia near Bluefield. Conversely, if headed north, I-77 continues as a freeway through north-central West Virginia and exits the state near Parkersburg into Ohio. There are three toll booths along the Turnpike, with basic (non-commercial) traffic paying $1.25 at each toll booth. Additionally, there is one exit-ramp toll booth at exit 48 (to US 19, North Beckley/Summersville), which costs $0.25 for automobiles. Rates for commercial traffic are higher. The southernmost toll booth is placed after the split with I-64, so east/west traffic will only pay $2.50. The West Virginia Turnpike is a member of the E-ZPass consortium, allowing members to by-pass lines at the toll booth and pay electronically. There are service plazas along the turnpike as well as a state-funded commercial/cultural center called Tamarack. Tamarack (exit 45) sells a variety of unique goods produced by native West Virginian artisans and corporations. Today, the Turnpike carries a huge volume of traffic, particularly from the Midwestern States enroute to the South and vice-versa. From North to South, the exits are as follows: - Exit 95: WV 61, MacCorkle Avenue
- Exit 89: WV 94/WV 61, Marmet/Chesapeake
- Exit 85: WV 61 to US 60, Chelyan/Cedar Grove (formerly Chelyan/East Bank)
- --TOLL BOOTH--
- Exit 79: CR 79/3, Cabin Creek Road/Sharon
- Exit 74: CR 83, Paint Creek Road
- Exit 66: CR 15, Mahan
- Exit 60: WV 612, Mossy/Oak Hill
- --TOLL BOOTH--
- Exit 54: CR 23/2, Pax
- Exit 48: (to) US 19, North Beckley/Summersville (exit ramp toll booth)
- Exit 45: Service Plaza/Tamarack
- Exit 43: WV 3, Harper Road/Beckley
- Exit 42: WV 16/97, Robert C. Byrd Drive/Mabscott
- Exit 40: I-64 East, Lewisburg (note: there is one sign where control cities of Charlotte and Richmond are used near this exit.)
- --TOLL BOOTH--
- Exit 28: CR 48, Ghent/Flat Top
- Exit 20: (to) US 19, Camp Hill
- Exit 14: WV 20, Athens Road
- Exit 9: US 460, Princeton/Pearisburg
External links
|
 |
|
| Copyright 2005-2009 OnPedia.com. All Rights Reserved |
|
|