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Martinsburg Bypass
One of the key elements of improving highway travel in the Eastern Panhandle is a new Martinsburg Bypass. The Division of Highways proposes to construct an approximate 5-mile bypass around Martinsburg in Berkeley County. The project is designed to improve traffic safety in the area while freeing Martinsburg from its current traffic congestion problems. The Bypass would also improve access throughout the study corridor.
The Division of Highways conducted a public information workshop meeting on the project January 28, 2003 and received public comments through February 28, 2003. Nine build alternatives ranging in cost from $110 to $161 million were presented to the public at the meeting. In addition, four Raleigh Street Extension alternatives were studied and presented, as requested by local public officials.
The Environmental Assessment, required for this highway project will be widely circulated for comments. Another public workshop regarding the project will then be scheduled by the WVDOH shortly thereafter. The purpose of this public workshop will be to offer local residents the opportunity to comment on the alternative under consideration before any final decisions are made.
Environmental Issues
The West Virginia Division of Highways (WVDOH) is currently evaluating the environmental aspects of the Martinsburg Bypass Project. GAI Consultants, the engineering consultant to the WVDOH on the Bypass project, has developed an Environmental Assessment. The environmental phase of the project will continue as priorities dictate.
In winter 2001, the West Virginia Division of Highways (WVDOH) conducted the early stages of the historic process to identify historic resources and archaeological sites located in the area surrounding the proposed alignment for the Martinsburg Bypass.
By February 2001, the first phase of the historic survey was complete and 3 properties in the area, the Continental Clay Brick Plant, the Myers House and the Kunkel House, were found to be listed with the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). The WVDOH also identified 9 additional properties that were eligible for listing with the NRHP.
Consultants for the WVDOH are currently in the process of developing a Criteria of Effects Report that will outline the impacts that the Bypass may have on these historic properties. The WVDOH has completed a “predictive model,” the document generated to determine the level of probability that there is an archaeological site in the construction area. Once the preferred alignment is solidified, the first phase of an archaeological survey will be conducted, and an Effects Report will be finalized.
Raleigh Street Extension
This project has been separated from the Martinsburg Bypass project. The improvement includes the extension of Raleigh Street in the City of Martinsburg, generally from Race Street to the intersection of WV 9 and US 11, a distance of approximately 1.2 miles. The primary intent of the project is to provide a second connection from the City’s downtown are to the City’s northern/northeastern sections. The project is intended to alleviate congestion in downtown Martinsburg and help relieve congestion along Queen Street (WV 9), which constrained by a two-lane underpass and currently is the only route serving the northern section of the City.
The Environmental Assessment was approved by the FHWA on August 22, 2006, and a public workshop was held October 17, 2006. The WVDOH has reviewed the comments received as a result of that workshop. The preferred option, an optimization of Option 3B, is based on engineering and environmental considerations, as well as comments made at the Public Information Workshop and correspondence from local governments. The approval of the Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) is anticipated to occur in February 2008.
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