Discussion of Key Area Recommendations

In the course of the technical analysis, field observations, and the public involvement portions of this study, it became clear that the most serious traffic congestion problems in Marion County occur on Fairmont Avenue in Fairmont and along US 250. They also extend south on US 250 through and beyond the South Fairmont interchange of US 250 and I-79 in White Hall. In many respects, this congestion is the root cause of the two major concerns that have repeatedly surfaced throughout this planning process.

These issues are: (1) the adequacy of access from the downtown and the Fairmont State College areas to I-79, and (2) access from the western two-thirds of Marion County to I-79.

Access to and from downtown Fairmont, the Fairmont State College area and I-79 has been an ongoing concern in Marion County for many years. The local Coordinating Committee for this study has designated resolution of this issue its top priority. Clearly, the future growth and redevelopment of both the downtown area and the Fairmont State College area are dependent on successfully resolving the problems related to lack of access to I-79. This plan recommends a three-step approach to correcting these problems, as explained below. The recommended improvements are illustrated in Figure 9.

In the near term, it is recommended that improvements be made to US 250 from Fairmont to and beyond the South Fairmont interchange in White Hall. These improvements should include roadway widening and signalization to increase capacity and improve the flow of traffic.

Signalization improvements should include the installation of a coordinated closed-loop signal system in White Hall, which would include five signalized intersections on US 250. From north to south, these are:

• US 250 and the Southbound I-79 Ramps;
• US 250 and NASA Boulevard;
• US 250 and the I-79 Northbound Ramps;
• US 250 and CR 73/Middletown Mall; and
• US 250 and Tygart Valley Mall.

If and when the Benton’s Ferry Bridge is replaced, it may also become necessary to signalize the intersection of US 250 and CR 64. If this occurs, this intersection should also be added to the closed-loop system.

Consideration should be given to signalization of the intersection of US 250 and Holbert Road (CR 250/20) in part to provide gaps in traffic on US 250 to allow turning movements to occur in other areas further south. Signalization here would also relieve the apparent sight distance problem that exists at the Holbert Road/US 250 intersection. Currently drivers approaching the intersection from the northwest on Holbert Road are forced to pull out into traffic on US 250 at a stop sign controlled intersection without a clear view of fast moving traffic approaching from the north. Drivers for the Fairmont Marion County Transit Authority in particular have made note of the hazard created by this circumstance.

Consideration should also be given to signalizing the southern intersection of Mary Lou Retton Drive and US 250 for similar reasons. The value of creating gaps in traffic is especially relevant in the section of US 250 area just north of this point, as there are many side access points (Muriale’s Restaurant, for example) where traffic attempts to enter the steady stream of traffic passing by. Without gaps, drivers will tend to become impatient and attempt to enter the roadway without adequate clearance, thus creating a safety hazard.

The closed-loop system recently installed in the City of Fairmont should be extended south to include the signal at the intersection of Country Club Road and US 250 (Fairmont Avenue) and the new signal at Mary Lou Retton Drive. In addition, as recommended in the Traffic Operations Report, the geometric improvements to the Country Club Road intersection that were identified in 1997 by WVDOT should be implemented. These include:

• The widening of the Country Club Road approach to the intersection to provide exclusive left- and right-turn lanes;
• The widening of US 250 on the southbound leg to provide an exclusive right-turn lane; and
• Marking the approach from the Giant Eagle grocery store’s parking lot to indicate a left- turn lane and through-right lane.

In addition, it was recommended that the signal be fully actuated and that the timing and phasing of the signal be optimized to improve intersection operation.

Geometric improvements on US 250 are also recommended. US 250 should be widened to three lanes from the point at which it now narrows to two lanes (near Meadowlane Avenue) extending south to its southern intersection with Mary Lou Retton Drive. A third lane will allow left-turn movements to occur into the numerous driveways and access points in this area without blocking traffic. This widening should also include shoulder improvements to provide at least a six-foot shoulder on both sides of the roadway. With the heavy traffic volumes in this area, adequate shoulder widths will provide an extra margin of safety.

For the same reason, US 250 should also be widened to three lanes from the South Fairmont interchange north to its intersection with CR 250/20 wherever access points are located. It is particularly important that an exclusive left-turn lane be provided on northbound US 250 at this intersection due to the consistent pattern of rear-end collisions that occur at this location. Between 1994 and 1996, a total of 20 accidents with 9 injuries occurred at this location, most of which were rear-end collisions on northbound US 250. The provision of an exclusive left-turn lane would eliminate this hazard.

In the section between CR 250/20 (Holbert Road) and the south Mary Lou Retton Drive intersection, the roadway should be improved to provide a six-foot shoulder on both sides throughout its length. Given the traffic volumes in this area, it is important to provide space for disabled vehicles to find refuge out of the lanes of traffic and to provide a margin of safety for drivers that drift onto the shoulder to recover without losing control of their vehicles. Consideration should also be given to the installation of rock fencing in this area to control rockfall onto the roadway.

A new roadway connection from downtown Fairmont to I-79 should be constructed with a new interchange on I-79 to be located in the general vicinity of the point where Pleasant Valley Road now passes under I-79, slightly to the north toward State Street. The addition of a new interchange in this area will be a challenging undertaking, due to both the current spacing between interchanges in this area and to the topography that is present in the area.

Current Federal Highway Administration Policy requires a minimum of 1 mile between interchanges on Interstate highways. The existing interchanges at WV 310 and Pleasant Valley are approximately 1.75 miles apart. Consequently, a new interchange located between the two will require a waiver of that standard and/or the incorporation of mitigation measures such as frontage roads or additional or exclusive lanes that can isolate weaving movements associated with exit and entrance ramps from the mainline traffic on I-79. It must be noted that the steep grade on I-79 immediately south of the WV 310 interchange accentuates the safety hazard associated with weaving movements in this area. This is due to the fact that vehicles entering southbound I-79 from WV 310 will tend to be moving more slowly than the mainline traffic for an extended period of time. In any event, the addition of a new interchange will almost certainly require substantial modification of I-79 in the area extending from the WV 310 interchange to the Pleasant Valley interchange. While cost estimates for this work have not been developed as part of this study because it is unknown what option(s) may be utilized, it would certainly be an expensive project. One alternative that was discussed during the course of this study was the elimination of the existing Pleasant Valley interchange. This, however, is not considered a viable option in Marion County.

The I-79/Downtown Connector should provide four moving lanes of traffic, with turning lanes provided at intersections. Design speed should be at least 45 mph. Intersections and/or access points should be minimized to preserve the capacity of this roadway to carry traffic. It is recommended that a minimum spacing of at least ¼ mile be maintained through the length of the roadway. It is important to emphasize that failure to control access on this roadway will seriously degrade its capacity to carry traffic, and thereby defeat the original purpose for its construction. This project should be viewed as replacing the proposed Riverside Expressway, as it accomplishes the same purpose at a substantially lower cost.

Three potential alignments for this connection have been identified during this study, each of which appears workable from the standpoint of traffic operations. At this writing, they are under detailed study by HNTB Consultants for the purpose of establishing a preferred alignment and cross section. The three alignments identified are briefly summarized below.

• The first, known as the State Street Alignment, begins at the east end of the Jefferson Street Bridge and roughly follows the current alignment of State Street through east Fairmont directly to I-79. This alignment is shown in Figure 9 as Alignment A.

• The second alignment, known as the Pleasant Valley Alignment, is a variation of the first with the difference being found at the eastern end. This alignment roughly follows State Street to its intersection with Pleasant Valley Road, after which it follows the alignment of Pleasant Valley Road to the new interstate interchange. This alignment is shown in Figure 9 as Alignment B.

• The third alignment, known as the Merchant Street Extension Alignment, passes roughly a half-mile southwest of State Street. This alignment passes through a ridgeline and descends into the Monongahela Valley, intersecting first with the David Morgan Bridge and then connecting to the Jefferson Street Bridge. This alignment would include the reconstruction of the eastern end of the David Morgan Bridge to remove the existing curve. This curve currently restricts its operating capacity. The David Morgan Bridge, originally constructed as a four-lane bridge, is now operating with two moving lanes of traffic due to problems with accidents occurring in the curve of the bridge. This alignment is shown in Figure 9 as Alignment C.

A final decision regarding the optimal alignment and cross section for the I-79/Downtown Connector can only be made following the detailed analysis now under way. It should be noted that several variations of the I-79/Downtown Connector were proposed, tested and rejected as a part of the transportation planning process. The #1 objective established by the Coordinating Committee for Marion County called for this connection to be as direct as possible. Another important consideration was that this connection should be made in a way that provides a "gateway" entrance into Fairmont and establishes a visual connection with the downtown area as quickly as possible.

The variations that were rejected involved either an upgrade to existing roadways or a new connector to the existing Pleasant Valley Interchange. The travel demand analysis bore out the Coordinating Committee’s basic feeling that these alternatives were too indirect and would, therefore, fail to provide an adequate resolution to the problem of connecting the downtown to I-79. The model testing showed that these variations would be less attractive to drivers and would tend to leave traffic on the existing routes, especially US 250 and WV 310. These alternatives also failed to provide the desired "gateway" effect.

The construction of a new I-79/Downtown Connector will create a new "gateway" entrance into Fairmont. Consideration should be given to special landscaping for this facility and the possibility of using lighting fixtures that are consistent with those recently installed in downtown Fairmont as a means of creating a unifying theme and emphasizing the historic aspects of Fairmont. Combined with the restored Jefferson Street Bridge, this would extend the historic theme from downtown to the I-79 interchange. Careful consideration should also be given during the design of this facility to maximizing the visual connection with downtown Fairmont once the project is built.

Regardless of the alignment chosen, it is imperative that the intersection of Merchant Street and Newton Street at the east end of the Jefferson Street Bridge be reconstructed to correct its current misalignment. This misalignment is created by the offset between Newton Street and the Jefferson Street Bridge.

As a result of the misalignment, this intersection operates poorly because its configuration requires the addition of separate signal phases for Newton Street and the Jefferson Street Bridge. Proper alignment of this intersection would provide a significant improvement in operation of the intersection and remove a significant obstacle to smooth traffic operations. The offset in question is clearly illustrated in the photograph below.

Aerial View of the Intersection of Newton Street,
Merchant Street and the Jefferson Street Bridge (during renovation).

Next Section: Recommended Plan - Part 3