Reiterating opposition to Corridor H

Alliance for the Shenandoah Valley has once again joined Virginia and West Virginia localities and conservation partners to express our concern about further development of Corridor H from Wardensville, West Virginia to the West Virginia/Virginia state line.

As proposed, Corridor H is a massive, almost 150-mile 4-lane highway running from Interstate 79 east through rural West Virginia to the Virginia state border. Officials from West Virginia are not coordinating with Virginia, yet they envision extending this highway project crossing into Virginia and ultimately replacing the current Route 55 to connect to the I-81/I-66 corridor near Strasburg.

Our decades-long concerns about the project remain the same.

Not only does this overbuilt road project fail to address a local transportation problem, it would have devastating impacts to the livelihood, public health, economic and vast natural resources in West Virginia and Virginia communities. We are asking WV officials to instead consider a less impactful road design that uses current data to propose safety improvements within the current right-of-way, mitigates impacts on water resources and wildlife habitats and better aligns with the surrounding environment. Here’s an excerpt from our most recent public comment advocating for a new Environmental Impact Statement for the project:

Virginia community members and organizations have been on record in opposition to the development of Corridor H for more than thirty years, stating the potential harm to communities neighboring the proposed route. Alliance for the Shenandoah Valley has remained vigilant as this project has unfortunately moved forward in West Virginia, and we continue to be deeply concerned about the significant negative impacts on communities and natural and cultural resources in Virginia that will occur if the Wardensville to West Virginia/Virginia state line segment is developed as currently proposed…

Additionally, the extent of potential impacts has increased and circumstances have changed significantly since Corridor H was proposed and an Environmental Impact Statement completed in 1996. Because of this, Alliance for the Shenandoah Valley formally requests that a new Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) be completed to fully assess the extent of potential environmental and economic impacts to both West Virginia and Virginia communities. The EIS should include a review of current traffic data, impacts of completed improvements, alternatives to the proposed corridor design, and methods for reducing adverse environmental effects.

The current Supplemental Environmental Assessment also lacks any consideration of the potential impacts to Virginia’s resources. This is a glaring omission that must be addressed. Even with no construction in Virginia, the consequences of taking a four-lane divided highway right up to the stateline are potentially severe and must be considered….

We remain hopeful that thoughtful consideration of alternatives will result in a far more affordable and less impactful design. We believe community members will embrace a new design that addresses safety needs, stays within the current right-of-way, mitigates impacts on natural and cultural resources, and better aligns with the surrounding environment and its rural character.

The Alliance also joined a coalition of 13 organizations from Virginia and West Virginia to co-sign a letter to the George Washington National Forest (GWNF) urging the forest service to require a Special Use Permit for the proposed Corridor H highway expansion through the GWNF. As detailed in the letter, the proposed project includes significant environmental and regulatory issues that would impact large swaths of the GWNF, some of which we worry the Forest Service was not fully informed about. These concerns necessitate a more thorough review, and possible amendment, to bring the proposed highway extension into legal compliance with the National Forest Management Act.

Top photo by Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.