RALEIGH COUNTY, WV (WVNS) — Road lights won’t be added to a close-by part of Coalfields Freeway, regardless of residents’ request.
Residents reported extra crashes, however the West Virginia Division of Transportation has no plans to position lights on the portion of the Coalfields Freeway between Crab Orchard and Mullens, a state official stated on Tuesday, January 10, 2023.
West Virginia Deputy Freeway Engineer Greg Bailey stated the freeway will solely obtain lighting in “city” areas. He crab stated there may be some lighting in Orchard, however has no plans to extend lighting on the remainder of the freeway.
There are at the moment no lights on that a part of the freeway.
Since 2006, the West Virginia Division of Transportation has acknowledged the Coalfields Freeway as a supply of financial progress for southern West Virginia and an necessary connecting route between McDowell, Wyoming, and quickly rising Raleigh counties.
The Coalfields Freeway will in the future join the West Virginia Turnpike to Grundy, Virginia.
The West Virginia Division of Transportation web site experiences that this can be a mountainous freeway stuffed with bends and turns. Signate signifies a 5 p.c grade.
Meaning extra motorcar accidents, WVDOT officers reported on its web site.
Many individuals who stay within the Slab Fork space, together with Jenny Waycaster of Hotchkiss, know the chance firsthand.
Waycaster stated on Monday, January 9, 2023, a deer sedan jumped in entrance of it, one other menace to drivers in West Virginia, whereas driving on the freeway one night time. He stated it was troublesome to discover a place to face on the mountain as there was no lighting alongside the sloping terrain.
“Nobody would have stopped, you realize, that was behind me,” she recalled. “I went down that darkish hill and pulled over. After I get to the underside to get by way of the Slab Fork, I pull over within the pitch darkish to see if I’ve a bit of that deer with me in my automobile.
There are not any site visitors lights on the Slab Fork junction.
The street abruptly ends at Mullens with out flashing warning lights. There’s a change of velocity and the indicators warning the drivers are ending.
Raleigh County Fee Chairman Dave Tolliver has a household in Wyoming County. He stated that he usually travels on the freeway.
“I admit, it could be actually useful to get down on the Slab Fork because it goes down. [to have lights]stated. “There was some particles on the intersection with the Slab Fork the place the lights can be helpful.”
Nevertheless, he stated that the street, which is the state freeway, will solely be illuminated when the State Highways pave them.
Till then, drivers ought to train warning when touring on the Coalfields Expressway.
Waycaster stated the plan places residents of Slab Fork and Hotchkiss, together with different drivers, in danger.
“I imply, it has particles on it,” he stated. “Why, if something, you might have nowhere to shoot. Nowhere. There are not any streetlights. It’s not secure for anybody.”
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