|
CHARLESTON,
WV – Gov. Jim Justice today announced the beginning of
construction on the Oakwood Intersection Improvement Project
along U.S. 119 in Kanawha County.
The project will involve establishing a Restricted Crossing U-Turn –
commonly known as an “R-CUT” – in the area to improve safety and decrease
traffic light wait times. The $5.8 million project will be completed
by Mountaineer Contractors, Inc., from Kingwood, WV.
“I’m so proud of our team with Highways because, when we first bid out
this project, it came back as a $30 million job,” Gov. Justice said. “But
after that, everybody on our team went to work, beared down, and, lo and
behold, they re-bid the project and it came back at $5.8 million. That’s
an unbelievable savings for West Virginians on a fantastic project that’s
truly going to put us on our way.”
From a design perspective, the R-CUT model is beneficial because it
decreases the potential points of conflict that a regular intersection
creates and poses no right-of-way issues for the WVDOT. Work completed during
the project will also allow for further improvements along U.S. 119.
“Every time we take another step toward providing better access or better
livability in areas like this, it makes us better,” Gov. Justice
continued. “It makes even more businesses want to come. It just makes us
better in every way.”
“Our Governor has a bold vision for the West Virginia Division of
Highways, and we’re happy to be a part of that vision,” West Virginia
Department of Transportation Secretary Byrd White said. “It’s also
important to remember to drive safely through work zones during
construction so that everyone can get home to their families.”
Traffic control will begin in the area on Friday, Aug. 7 and construction
is expected to begin on Monday, Aug. 17. Lane closures will occur during
non-peak hours from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. to minimize traffic congestion for
commuters.
“This kind of project demonstrates the value of good, sound, technical
engineering,” said WVDOT Deputy Secretary Jimmy Wriston, P.E. “Just by
looking at it a little differently, we were able to use innovative
solutions to save millions of dollars.”
The anticipated completion date for the project, including all lighting
installation, is May 2021.
|