Corridor H, Finish It!

07/23/2026

07/22/2026

By: Lydia Crawley The Parsons Advocate Traffic on Smokey Hollow Road has increased since the new section of Corridor H opened up and it has caught the attention of officials. Tucker County Commission President Mike Rosenau asked Director of the Tucker County Office of Emergency Management Kevin Whit...

07/08/2026

West Virginia is one step closer to finishing a decades-long highway project after the state awarded its first construction contract to extend Corridor H from Wardensville to the Virginia state line. — https://www.wdtv.com/2026/07/07/first-contract-next-phase-corridor-h-awarded-by-wvdoh/

07/07/2026

In need of something to do this Independence Day? Get outside and enjoy Almost Heaven!

07/03/2026

𝗖𝗢𝗥𝗥𝗜𝗗𝗢𝗥 𝗛 𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗥𝗢𝗔𝗗 𝗧𝗢 𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗣𝗟𝗘𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗜𝗦 𝗙𝗜𝗡𝗔𝗟𝗟𝗬 𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗢 𝗙𝗢𝗖𝗨𝗦

With the opening of the Kerens to Parsons section in June 2026, Corridor H (US 48) has reached another major milestone. For the first time, we now have a much clearer picture of what remains before this nationally significant highway is finally complete from Interstate 79 to Interstate 81.

Based on the latest information from the West Virginia Division of Highways and subsequent reporting, three major segments remain.

🟢 𝗪𝗩 𝟳𝟮 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗠𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘆𝘃𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲
📅 Expected Opening: Summer 2028

This final 3.6 mile section west of Parsons will connect the new highway to the future Mackeyville Interchange, just east of Davis. The Mackeyville Interchange is located here:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/TUapbzYzAniECaEE9

Earlier legislative updates had portions of this work finishing in late 2027, but the most recent reports following the June 2026 opening indicate motorists should expect the road to open to traffic around June 2028, making Summer 2028 the best current estimate.

🟢 𝗪𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘀𝘃𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗩𝗶𝗿𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗮 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗲
📅 Expected Opening: End of 2032

This final eastern section will complete the connection to Interstate 81 in Virginia. According to the January 2026 WVDOH announcement, bids were expected during 2026 with construction beginning afterward and an anticipated opening by 2032.

Earlier projections suggested completion around late 2030, so this segment has unfortunately slipped approximately two years.

🟢 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗗𝗮𝘃𝗶𝘀
📅 Expected Opening: End of 2034

This is currently identified as the final remaining gap in Corridor H.

Current plans call for:
• Right of way acquisition beginning in Fall 2028.
• Construction beginning in early 2031.
• Completion by late 2034.

Unfortunately, this section has experienced years of delays due to permitting challenges and litigation, much of it brought by organizations located outside West Virginia. Every additional year of delay means continued safety concerns, slower economic growth, and missed opportunities for communities across Tucker County and the entire region.

𝗪𝗛𝗬 𝗜𝗧 𝗠𝗔𝗧𝗧𝗘𝗥

Corridor H is far more than another highway.

It is about:
✅ Improving highway safety.
✅ Supporting tourism throughout the Potomac Highlands.
✅ Giving manufacturers faster access to markets.
✅ Connecting West Virginia businesses to the Inland Port at Front Royal and the Interstate 81 corridor.
✅ Creating jobs and attracting investment.
✅ Providing a modern transportation corridor that Appalachian leaders envisioned more than 60 years ago when the Appalachian Development Highway System was created.

West Virginia has invested billions of dollars and generations of work into this highway. Every completed mile makes travel safer and brings us one step closer to realizing the vision first laid out in the 1960s.

Now let's keep the momentum going.

Finish Corridor H. Finish US 48. Finish the job.

06/25/2026

The latest anti-Corridor H argument from the West Virginia Highlands Conservancy misses the entire purpose of the highway.

Their claim boils down to this: because Virginia's existing Route 55 can carry projected traffic, Corridor H is unnecessary.

That is simply not why Corridor H was built.

Corridor H is part of the Appalachian Development Highway System authorized by Congress in 1965 through the Appalachian Regional Commission. The purpose was to connect isolated Appalachian communities to the national transportation network, improve safety, reduce travel times, and create economic opportunity in regions that had been left behind for generations.

In fact, the Appalachian Regional Commission specifically states that the ADHS was created to overcome Appalachia's isolation and stimulate economic development by linking the region to interstate highways and national markets.

The VDOT study examined only a 14-mile section of existing roadway and asked whether current traffic volumes could be accommodated. It did not evaluate economic development, freight mobility, tourism growth, emergency response, military mobility, system redundancy, or the benefits of completing a federally designated transportation corridor.

Level of Service is a congestion measurement. It is not a measure of safety.

Even the VDOT study identified crash hot spots, roadway departure concerns, and safety deficiencies along the corridor. A four-lane divided highway eliminates many of the most severe crash types, including head-on collisions and dangerous passing maneuvers, in ways that rumble strips and warning signs simply cannot.

The article also asks West Virginia taxpayers to believe traffic forecasts extending to the year 2102. Think about that for a moment. In 1949, nobody predicted Interstate highways, container shipping, Amazon, remote work, data centers, or the Virginia Inland Port. Predicting transportation demand 76 years into the future is speculation, not certainty.

Perhaps the most glaring omission is the Virginia Inland Port at Front Royal. One of the original justifications for Corridor H was to provide a more efficient connection between central Appalachia and the I-81 corridor, one of the busiest freight routes in America. The article never addresses freight, manufacturing, logistics, exports, or economic competitiveness.

The piece also ignores a basic historical fact: Virginia agreed to participate in Corridor H decades ago as part of the Appalachian Development Highway System. The question was never whether Appalachia needed better transportation access. Federal and state leaders settled that issue generations ago.

If previous generations had used the Highlands Conservancy's logic, Interstate 79 would never have been built. Interstate 68 would never have been built. The New River Gorge Bridge would never have been built. None of those projects were justified solely by the traffic counts of the day. They were built because transportation infrastructure creates opportunity.

West Virginia has already invested billions of dollars and completed nearly the entire corridor. The remaining segments from Parsons to Davis are advancing, and planning continues east of Wardensville toward the Virginia line. Walking away now would strand decades of federal and state investment while denying future generations the benefits those investments were intended to provide.

The real question is not whether a two-lane road can continue functioning.

The real question is whether Appalachia deserves the same safe, modern transportation network that the rest of America already enjoys.

We believe the answer is yes.

By Olivia Miller, West Virginia Highlands Conservancy As West Virginia prepares to spend $542 million building Corridor H to the state line, blasting through the George Washington National Forest, Virginia’s […]

06/24/2026

𝗙𝗜𝗡𝗜𝗦𝗛 𝗖𝗢𝗥𝗥𝗜𝗗𝗢𝗥 𝗛: 𝗪𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗩𝗜𝗥𝗚𝗜𝗡𝗜𝗔'𝗦 𝗙𝗨𝗧𝗨𝗥𝗘 𝗦𝗛𝗢𝗨𝗟𝗗 𝗡𝗢𝗧 𝗕𝗘 𝗛𝗘𝗟𝗗 𝗛𝗢𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗚𝗘

For nearly six decades, West Virginians have worked toward a simple goal: completing Corridor H and connecting our communities to the modern economy.

Today, that goal is once again under attack.

Two organizations, the Virginia Wilderness Committee and Stewards of the Potomac Highlands, have filed a federal lawsuit seeking to stop construction of the Wardensville-to-Virginia state line segment—the final section needed to complete Corridor H in Hardy County.

Their lawsuit represents more than opposition to a highway. It represents opposition to the economic future of West Virginia.

𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗦 𝗜𝗦 𝗡𝗢𝗧 𝗔 𝗡𝗘𝗪 𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗝𝗘𝗖𝗧

Corridor H was not conceived yesterday. It was not rushed through the approval process. It was not hidden from public scrutiny.

The highway has been studied, debated, redesigned, reviewed, challenged, and reviewed again over the course of nearly sixty years. Countless engineers, environmental scientists, transportation planners, federal regulators, state officials, and local citizens have participated in the process.

The reality is that modern highway construction bears little resemblance to the road-building practices of generations past. Today's projects operate under some of the most stringent environmental standards in American history. Stormwater controls, erosion prevention, stream mitigation, wildlife protections, wetland restoration, and extensive environmental reviews are standard practice.

Every major decision is scrutinized by state and federal agencies before a single shovel enters the ground.

𝗘𝗡𝗗𝗟𝗘𝗦𝗦 𝗟𝗜𝗧𝗜𝗚𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗜𝗦 𝗡𝗢𝗧 𝗔 𝗣𝗟𝗔𝗡

Yet despite decades of analysis and approval, these groups continue searching for new ways to stop progress.

Unfortunately, this has become a familiar pattern across America. Infrastructure projects that are overwhelmingly in the public interest are often delayed for years—or even decades—not because they fail environmental standards, but because a small number of activists use litigation as a tool to endlessly relitigate decisions that have already been made.

The costs are enormous.

Every year of delay increases construction costs. Every year of delay leaves motorists on older, less safe roads. Every year of delay denies communities the economic opportunities that modern transportation infrastructure provides.

𝗪𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗩𝗜𝗥𝗚𝗜𝗡𝗜𝗔 𝗛𝗔𝗦 𝗪𝗔𝗜𝗧𝗘𝗗 𝗟𝗢𝗡𝗚 𝗘𝗡𝗢𝗨𝗚𝗛

Communities along Corridor H have waited patiently while project after project moved through environmental reviews, public meetings, federal approvals, and court challenges.

Businesses have planned investments around the highway. Families have anticipated safer travel. Local governments have prepared for economic growth.

Now, as the finish line finally comes into view, opponents are once again attempting to move the goalposts.

The irony is impossible to ignore. Many of the same voices demanding economic opportunity for rural America often oppose the very infrastructure that makes such opportunity possible.

Modern manufacturers require reliable transportation. Distribution companies require efficient freight movement. Tourism depends on safe and accessible highways. Emergency services benefit from improved travel times. Residents gain access to jobs, education, healthcare, and commerce.

𝗥𝗢𝗔𝗗𝗦 𝗠𝗔𝗧𝗧𝗘𝗥

They always have.

The Appalachian Development Highway System was created because policymakers recognized that Appalachia's isolation was holding back economic growth. Corridor H is part of that vision. It was designed to connect rural communities to markets, jobs, and opportunity.

West Virginia has spent decades fulfilling its commitment to that vision. More than 112 miles of Corridor H are already open. Billions of dollars have been invested. Generations of taxpayers have contributed to the project.

The notion that the state should simply stop now—just miles from completion—is not serious public policy.

West Virginia deserves the same modern transportation network that Americans elsewhere take for granted. Our citizens should not be forced onto outdated, winding mountain roads because a handful of activists refuse to accept decisions that have already undergone exhaustive review.

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗧𝗜𝗠𝗘 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗗𝗘𝗟𝗔𝗬 𝗛𝗔𝗦 𝗣𝗔𝗦𝗦𝗘𝗗

The lawsuit seeking to halt Corridor H is not merely a challenge to a highway project. It is a challenge to West Virginia's ability to compete, grow, and prosper in the 21st century.

The time for studies has passed.

The time for endless litigation has passed.

The time for delay has passed.

𝗜𝗧 𝗜𝗦 𝗧𝗜𝗠𝗘 𝗧𝗢 𝗙𝗜𝗡𝗜𝗦𝗛 𝗖𝗢𝗥𝗥𝗜𝗗𝗢𝗥 𝗛.

06/23/2026

𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗩𝗶𝗿𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗮 𝘁𝗼 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗜𝘁𝘀 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗼𝗿 𝗛

For more than three decades, West Virginia taxpayers, federal taxpayers, and local communities have invested billions of dollars to construct Corridor H, one of the most important transportation projects in the Appalachian region.

Today, Corridor H stretches across much of West Virginia, connecting communities that were once isolated by winding mountain roads. New sections continue to open, bringing safer travel, economic opportunity, and faster access to the national highway system.

Yet one glaring problem remains.

𝗩𝗶𝗿𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗮 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗼𝗿 𝗛.

According to the Appalachian Regional Commission's FY 2024 Appalachian Development Highway System Status Report, Virginia's authorized Corridor H segment consists of approximately 14.4 miles from the West Virginia state line to Interstate 81 near Strasburg. The report shows that all 14.4 miles remain in the "Location Studies Stage," with no construction completed. Virginia's estimated cost to complete the project is approximately $172.9 million.

Meanwhile, West Virginia has completed more than 100 miles of Corridor H and continues to make progress toward finishing the route. Construction is currently underway on the western portion of the Parsons-to-Davis segment, while planning, environmental review, and litigation continue on the remaining eastern portion. In addition, West Virginia is advancing the final Wardensville-to-Virginia state line segment and moving toward future construction.

While challenges remain, West Virginia is actively working toward completion. Virginia, by contrast, has not constructed a single mile of its designated segment.

At some point, a reasonable question must be asked:

❝𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗩𝗶𝗿𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝗳𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗳𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗲 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗮 𝗳𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗼𝗿?❞

The Appalachian Development Highway System was never intended to be a collection of disconnected projects. It was designed as an integrated transportation network to connect Appalachia with the national economy and the Interstate Highway System.

A corridor that ends abruptly at a state line fails that mission.

𝗔 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝗮𝗳𝗲𝘁𝘆 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿𝗻

Every time West Virginia opens another section of Corridor H, more traffic is funneled toward the eastern end of the corridor.

The recently opened Kerens-to-Parsons section is now carrying traffic, and construction on the western portion of the Parsons-to-Davis gap will continue pushing traffic farther east as additional segments are completed. Once the remaining West Virginia sections are finished, motorists will have a continuous modern highway from Interstate 79 near Weston to the Virginia state line.

But when they cross into Virginia, they will still be forced onto an aging two-lane roadway before reaching Interstate 81.

𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻 𝗼𝗯𝘃𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝘀𝗮𝗳𝗲𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺.

Federal transportation planners have long recognized that transitions from modern limited-access highways to lower-capacity roads create congestion, increase driver frustration, and elevate crash risks. The original Corridor H concept included a direct connection to Interstate 81 for exactly that reason.

𝗪𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗩𝗶𝗿𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗮 𝗶𝘀 𝗱𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁.

𝗩𝗶𝗿𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗮 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝗔𝗿𝗴𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗟𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗦𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗲

Virginia's refusal to build its portion of Corridor H is also difficult to justify economically.

Just south of Strasburg sits the Virginia Inland Port at Front Royal, one of the Commonwealth's most important freight facilities. The inland port serves as a major logistics hub connecting rail, trucking, and international shipping networks.

Completing Corridor H would create a direct, high-quality transportation connection between central Appalachia and the Front Royal logistics complex.

Manufacturers, distribution centers, agricultural producers, timber operations, energy producers, and exporters throughout West Virginia would gain improved access to one of Virginia's most valuable economic assets. At the same time, Virginia would benefit from increased freight volumes, additional business activity, and greater utilization of infrastructure it has already invested heavily to construct.

𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗮 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗻𝘁 𝗥𝗼𝘆𝗮𝗹 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗱𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗯𝗼𝘁𝗵 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀.

𝗪𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗩𝗶𝗿𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗮 𝗛𝗮𝘀 𝗗𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁

Perhaps the most frustrating aspect of the situation is that West Virginia has undertaken the most difficult portions of the project.

The remaining work in West Virginia involves mountainous terrain, major bridges, environmental mitigation requirements, and some of the most challenging highway construction conditions in the eastern United States.

Virginia's portion consists of approximately 14 miles across the Shenandoah Valley to Interstate 81.

Yet while West Virginia has spent decades planning, permitting, funding, litigating, and building its portion of Corridor H, Virginia has left its segment untouched for more than thirty years.

𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆

The Appalachian Development Highway System was established as a federal partnership. States accepted federal funding with the understanding that they would work toward completing the designated corridors.

Virginia has benefited from substantial federal highway investments on other Appalachian corridors, including Corridors B and Q. Yet Corridor H remains untouched.

One option would be to condition portions of future discretionary federal highway funding on measurable progress toward completing Corridor H.

𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗽𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁.

𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗲𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗱.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗛𝗮𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗲

When the Appalachian Development Highway System was created, Congress did not envision highways ending at state lines. The purpose was to create a connected regional transportation network that would improve safety, expand economic opportunity, and link Appalachia to the national transportation system.

West Virginia has largely honored that commitment and continues working toward completion despite difficult terrain, environmental challenges, and escalating construction costs.

Virginia has not.

When the remaining West Virginia segments are complete, the only missing link in the eastern portion of Corridor H will be Virginia's 14.4-mile segment.

𝗜𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗩𝗶𝗿𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗮 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗼𝗿 𝗛 𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝘄𝗵𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗮 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴.

06/22/2026

# Corridor H Takes Another Major Step Forward as Kerens to Parsons Section Opens Today

PARSONS, W.Va. — After years of construction and months of additional delay, the newest 11-mile section of Corridor H officially opens to traffic today, creating a continuous 4-lane connection from Parsons westward to Interstate 79 at Weston.

State and local officials gathered for a ribbon cutting ceremony marking the completion of the latest segment of U.S. Route 48 between Kerens in Randolph County and Parsons in Tucker County.

The opening is welcome news for motorists who have waited longer than expected to use the new highway. The section was originally expected to open last fall but remained unopened until today under the Morrisey administration.

For drivers, the benefits are immediate. The new highway bypasses one of the most difficult sections of U.S. 219, eliminating steep grades, sharp curves, reduced speed zones, and congestion through communities such as Montrose.

Transportation officials estimate the new section will reduce travel times between Elkins and Parsons by approximately 15 to 20 minutes. More importantly, motorists now have a modern divided highway that eliminates lengthy delays behind slow moving trucks, farm equipment, and other traffic.

Drivers can now maintain highway speeds from the Route 72 interchange between Parsons and St. George westward all the way to Interstate 79.

Today's opening represents another milestone in the decades long effort to complete Corridor H, a project designed to connect Weston with the Virginia state line through a modern 4-lane highway crossing the Allegheny Mountains.

With the Kerens to Parsons segment now open, more than 100 miles of Corridor H are in service. Only 2 significant sections remain.

The easternmost 7.2-mile segment between Wardensville and the Virginia state line is advancing toward construction. The West Virginia Department of Transportation is preparing to put that section out for bid. Once a contract is awarded, the final remaining gap in the entire Corridor H system will be the segment between Parsons, Davis, and Thomas.

That final Tucker County section has faced decades of delays, studies, and litigation. Much of the opposition has been driven by organizations and interests located outside West Virginia that do not place West Virginia's economic development, transportation needs, or long term competitiveness at the center of their priorities.

Supporters of Corridor H argue that the road is essential to improving safety, supporting tourism, attracting investment, and providing eastern West Virginia with the same transportation opportunities enjoyed by other regions of the state.

During a recent visit to West Virginia, U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito addressed the continuing debate over the final section.

"This has been studied up and down. I believe the Department of Highways and advocates for completion of Corridor H have looked at this every different way over the last 40 years. I think we need to go with the decision that has been made," Capito said.

Opponents continue advocating for an alternative northern route around Thomas and Davis. However, the West Virginia Division of Highways maintains that decades of engineering studies, environmental reviews, and public involvement support the previously selected alignment.

Capito agreed.

"I think all of the environmental impacts have been considered and they're considered to be minimal if at all. I think this has been an ongoing strategy to really stop completion of this highway," she said.

The Department of Highways continues working through the environmental review process necessary to complete the final Tucker County segment. Once finished, Corridor H will provide a continuous modern transportation corridor across eastern West Virginia and finally complete a vision that has been in development for generations.

Today's opening brings West Virginia one step closer to that goal.