Gov. Justice breaks ground on next phase of Corridor H

PARSONS, W.Va (WDTV) - Governor Jim Justice joined officials on Friday for a groundbreaking ceremony to celebrate the start of work on a section of Corridor H in Tucker County.

This section of Corridor H, U.S. Route 48, will consist of grading and drainage work on a three-mile stretch that will begin near the Cheat River Bridge, which is currently under construction.

When it’s completed, the Cheat River Bridge will be among the longest bridges in West Virginia at 3,300 feet.

The four-lane bridge will link the 15-mile stretch of Corridor H between Kerens and Parsons with the section between Parsons and Davis.

“I can tell everyone here one thing,” Gov. Justice said. “My goal is for ALL of Corridor H to be under contract before I leave office. We’re going to finish this road.”

The successful bid of $49,488,494 was made by A.L.L. Construction Inc. of Mount Storm.

Contractors are expected to move more than seven million yards of dirt to prepare the section of highway for construction and paving.

Work is expected to be complete by the fall of 2025.

When Corridor H is fully completed, it will connect Interstate 79 in Weston, WV, to Interstate 81 in Strasburg, VA.

“As I’ve said over and over, the single most important project in our state right now is Corridor H,” Gov. Justice said. “Corridor H will connect all kinds of communities, from Parsons, to Kerens, to Davis, to the state line and far beyond so we can bring more and more prosperity to all of West Virginia. And not only will this project employ a bunch of people, but travelers will continue to spend all kinds of money in these communities long after construction ends.”

Currently, 113 miles of Corridor H are open to traffic in West Virginia, with 31 miles left to open, including 15 miles that are under active construction.

To date, an estimated $1.93 billion has been spent on Corridor H, with an estimated $1 billion-worth of work remaining.

Copyright 2023 WDTV. All rights reserved.