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U.S. Route 250-Route 2 work to begin soon

Long-awaited road work on the U.S. Route 250-state Route 2 expansion project was expected to start in the last weeks of 2017, but a sudden snap of bitter cold put those plans on ice.

However, the returning cold is supposed to pose no impediment to the work, which U.S. Division of Highways engineer Gus Suwaid said should begin soon.

The expansion project, to take place between Glen Dale and Moundsville, is a multi-phase project that will include the addition of a traffic light, turning lane and access to Route 250 from Route 2 northbound, and vice versa, as well as other improvements such as bridge repair.

“To address traffic congestion and adding a turning lane, to streamlining through traffic — in other words, to improve the level of service of that section,” Suwaid said. “When someone wants to make a left turn, they’re not restricting the through traffic behind them, and they can take the auxiliary middle lane, allowing for the free flow of traffic.”

The addition of a traffic light would come at the end of construction, Suwaid added, while the road would be reshaped into a right angle to allow free access to Route 250 from either direction.

St. Albans-based Triton Construction is doing the work

“We awarded the contract to Triton, but due to the cold weather, nothing could be done at this time,” Suwaid said. “They want to wait until the cold weather dissipates. They did already start mobilizing to start the utility relocation work, and the retaining wall, that whole first stage.

“The contract consists of multiple phases,” Suwaid said. “The first phase is restricting the slow lane … and that work consists of utility relocation. There are some water/sewer lines that have to be moved before we can begin widening work.”

The work, Suwaid said, has a completion date of late 2019.

During this time, a detour would be available through Moundsville, up Fourth Street and down to First Street, the same route that has been used in the past for prior Route 250 work.

Meanwhile, the DOH advises that beginning Monday and continuing through Feb. 2, Fish Creek/ North Fork Road, Marshall County Route 250/11 will be closed. This closure will be in effect from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays to allow crews to repair multiple slips.

Inclement weather or unforeseen circumstances could change the project schedule. Motorists are advised to reduce speed and expect delays.

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