MORGANTOWN – The Monongalia County Commission on Wednesday approved the language of right-of-entry letters for properties that could be impacted by the forthcoming reconfiguration of I-79 Exit 155 and the Chaplin Hill gateway.
It’s currently unclear how many properties will be accessed, but Commissioner Sean Sikora has stated that much of this work is tied to the testing necessary to satisfy environmental and engineering requirements prior to construction and isn’t necessarily an indicator of what property will actually need to be acquired.
It’s been explained that a large percentage, but not all, of the land required to construct the $135 million project is under the control of WestRidge – one leg of the three-way agreement approved in July that spelled out the project’s financing package.
“You have to cast a wider net than just the immediate property, but some of them will be needed for rights-of-way. I don’t know what the percentage of those are, but for the most part, it’s really to find out what we don’t know,” Sikora said, explaining that the commission is approving the language so the form letters can go out as architecture, engineering, environmental and construction firm HDR identifies a need to access particular properties.
The letter explains the purpose of the site visits will be for “surveys, inspections, examinations, investigations, tests, soundings and drillings” for the purpose of determining a suitable location for the project “and in contemplation of acquiring said property, or an interest or right therein.”
The letter further states that property owners will be notified three days in advance and “reasonably compensated” if entry onto a property causes demonstrable damage.
During Wednesday’s meeting, the Exit 155 agreement between the county, DOH and WestRidge was touted as a “first of its kind” signaling a “new way of doing business” for transportation projects in West Virginia.
“Charleston was using us as an example to set the tone for how we move forward in some of these projects where we’re strapped for cash at the state level and we figure out a way to have local buy-in to make these projects go forward,” Sikora said.
Per the terms of the deal, about half the cost – $67.2 million – will be provided by the state. Another 40% ($54.2 million) will come through the U.S. Department of Transportation MEGA Grant awarded in 2024, and the remainder, approximately $13.5 million, will be provided locally by WestRidge and the county.
The commissioners said the agreement is just one example of what’s been a complete reversal of the traditionally hot-and-cold relationship between the county and the DOH. They credited the Morrisey administration and current West Virginia Department of Transportation/DOH leadership.
“I’m really excited about, and I think all three commissioners would say, the relationship now with the DOH and the state DOH. There is a whole new world. We are now working very closely together,” Commission President Tom Bloom said. “I think that shows with Exit 155. The concerns that we’ve had, I think they were listened to.”
The initial phase of the project is expected to include new bridges carrying I-79 over Chaplin Hill Road. It’s also anticipated that the reconfigured interchange will feature a new divergent diamond layout, a westbound flyover at the intersection of Chaplin Hill and U.S. Route 19, and a multi-modal path from the rail-trail in Star City to The Gateway. Improvements to Chaplin Hill Road up to the interstate will also be included.
Sikora said it would likely be at least spring 2027 before actual construction got underway.
As for the separate, but related, effort to install temporary traffic lights at the Exit 155 ramps along Chaplin Hill Road, that $556,898 project has a Sept. 4 completion date.
