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DOH officials tour
the future site of Route 9
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Joe Deneault, the state highway engineer and Dave Clevenger, head of the consultant review section for the West Virginia Division of Highways (WVDOH), visited Jefferson and Berkeley counties on Wednesday, August 16, 2000 to conduct a media tour of the future site of the Route 9 project.
Prior to the tour, Deneault and Clevenger met members of the media and interested residents in Charles Town to discuss the sections of the project connecting Charles Town to the Virginia state line, Martinsburg to Charles Town, and the Martinsburg Bypass. Deneault opened the meeting by explaining the current status of the Route 9 project. Clevenger then described the details of the proposed alignments and the complicated environmental process that the WVDOH must conduct before beginning the final design of the project.
Following the meeting, Deneault invited the media to join them for the driving tour that consisted of eight designated locations along the proposed route where they could exit their vehicles and survey the area where the alignments have been presented.
The tour began at the West Virginia/Virginia state line on WV 9 near the Appalachian Trail crossing. It then continued on to the overlook of the Shenendoah River on WV 9 where reporters were encouraged to envision how the new alignments will cross the watershed area. The third stop was at the Charles Town Bypass near the Belvidere Farm and the fourth was at the Burr Industrial Park. The group then stopped in Kearneysville where the new alignment will cross Lee Town Road (County Route 1) and then traveled east of the regional jail near the proposed junction of the Martinsburg Bypass and the current Route 9. The next stop was at the proposed interchange with WV 45. Finally, the tour concluded at the Berkeley Plaza where the proposed route will cross over the shopping center.
Deneault said, "The WVDOH has made a concerted effort to inform the public about the roads we are building. We have found that media site tours not only serve as a tool to inform the public about our projects, but also help them envision where our roads are going and what they are designed to accomplish."
Click here to take a photo tour of the future site of Route 9.
For more information on the Route 9 project, or to submit your official public comment, visit www.wvroute9.com.
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