November 11, 2009

Corridor H field check/update

After doing some hiking in western Maryland on Sunday (to the highest point in Maryland, amongst other places), I headed home via the Corridor H area. Below is a field-check of the construction projects along the corridor, generally from west to east.

- Earthmoving and grading is now underway on either side of WV 93 north of Scherr, extending east to CR 1. No bridgework yet at either WV 93 or CR 1.

- Grading and the sole bridge (over CR 1) for the WV 93 connector appears to be complete. No paving operations.

- Unrelated to Corridor H, but in the Scherr vicinity, WVDOT is replacing a bridge on WV 42 just south of the WV 93 junction. The WV 42/93 junction is closed as a result. The detour uses Scherr Rd to cut the corner over to WV 93 (which is now an all-way stop), then CR 42/14 to get back to WV 42 south of the bridge. CR 42/14 has been repaved as a result, but there's a bridge on the road where "truck/buses cross one at a time".

- Grading is complete for the stretch that parallels CR 1 north of Greenland.

- Two fairly tall bridges are underway in the Greenland vicinity. One basically over Greenland itself (and the east-west portion of CR 1), and another about a half-mile or so to the north, over the north-south portion of CR 1. Bridge deck is being built for the former...most (but not all) of the I-beams are in place for the latter.

- Further south, earthmoving/grading has begun for the segment west of CR 3/Knobley Rd which passes through the gap in Knobly Mtn that the Middle Fork of Patterson Creek passes through. No bridgework yet at CR 3.

- As reported on various road groups in the past, grading is complete between CR 3 and CR 5/Patterson Creek Rd.

- I can confirm now that the junction with CR 5 at Forman will be a folded-diamond interchange, with the ramps folded to the west. The bridge on CR 5 over Corridor H is complete and open to traffic, and paving in this area is more or less complete, even including lane striping on Corridor H in the interchange vicinity.

- Paving is well underway between CR 5 and the Potomac River. The mainline lanes are being paved on concrete, and it appears that the shoulders between CR 5 and Fish Pond Rd (CR 220/8) will also be concrete. Between Fish Pond Rd and the Potomac, too early to tell whether the shoulders will be concrete or asphalt. Side road and ramp connections (as well as the whole interchange at CR 5) will be asphalt.

- Unrelated to Corridor H, but along CR 2/Old Fields Rd on the east side of Patterson Creek Mtn is a side road named "Never Ending Drive".

- Also as reported in the past, the bridge over the South Branch of the Potomac River is complete, as is the short segment between the bridge and the US 220/WV 28 interchange. The short segment also has signage posted. And thanks to a zoom lens, I can confirm that there's a US 48 reassurance shield posted westbound just before the bridge, as well as a distance sign showing mileage to Bismark, Davis, and Elkins.