The topic of Corridor H receiving nearly $30 million dollars in Obama's pork ridden 'stimulus' bills was on the news twice this week, once on CNN earlier in the week and then on FOX New's Hannity show on Friday.

Both shows hammered hard on Robert C. Byrd for pulling an additional $30 million of tax payer dollars that are for the massive 4 lane highway that goes 'no where', and does nothing for the economy. Also I found it nice that the really stretched out excuse of it being an evacuation route is being questioned as a far fetched excuse just to receive more funds. Both news programs point out that Virginia has no plans to build their portion and that 'evacuees' would have to travel 20 miles of two lane twisting mountain road just to get on the evacuation route.

Also in related news, I hadn't been posting as much due to being busier, but there was an article in one of the local papers about CH around 2 months ago. I forget which one at the moment, but the article stated once again Virginia has no desire or willing state congressional level people who plan to build this within any foreseeable future. Especially now that the I-81 three lane expansion is taking longer and costing more even to get planned.

Personally for me it is nice to see some news agencies jump in on this story and ironically, the locals who oposed it years ago, their message is back. Why spend that much for that big of a highway when the other two lane road needed widening, repair, minor re-routing in spots.

I have a feeling this won't be the last time WV and this area of WV will be on the news because of Obama's 'porkculous' bill with Robert Byrd leading the way in handouts.

Hopefully we can get national attention about these dams and the money Byrd pulls for that.

CNN Video:
http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/03/12/corridor.h/index.html

FOX News Video:
http://www.foxnews.com/hannity/#
(Click on "Dead End?" Under Special Investigations)

I don't Know how much Commerce or Trucking needs to go thru WV with this new Hwy but I know that anyone traveling to the WV Mtns for recreation needs it & since it would be more of a waste to not build it..BUILD IT!...The safety factor alone is enough...the old twisty switchback rd was old school dangerous!

I cannot stand the fake money printout by Obama & crew but since we are doing it...can we get 30 mill for the Canaan ski area?...whats a half billion to get the land owner to sell MPC?..Hell...print up another 30 mill for Timberlines high speed quad & resort upgrade!...doesn't the ceo of TL need a bonus?...money makes the world go around..the world go around..the world go around..sing with me.

Interesting. I've heard so many figures on Corridor-H it's getting so I don't know whom to trust any more!! From what I can find in the last bill, Byrd got $15,680,00 in the 2009 bill, but I've seen up to $800,000,000 quoted (the whole thing I guess).

So I guess nobody is complaining about the $1,477,000 for the Canaan Wildlife Refuge?

BTW, if you would like to look at all of the line items in a nice big spreadsheet. You can find it at the Taxpayers for Common Sense website

Now, that just ain't nice!

Count me also an opponent of the porkulus madness. Still, in the spirit of fairness, one would have to point out that when the interstate highway system was built in the 1950s, there were lots of stretches that didn't justify the cost based on traffic at that time (think North Dakota). Building roads and other infrastructure does sometimes spur economic growth. Whether it will do so in the case of Corridor H is a separate question.

I guess the question now is, if you think the entire Corr H was a little ridiculous, isn't an interstate highway linking Moorefield and Wardensville even more ridiculous? Having already built about half of the Wardensville to Davis section (including the progress on the sections under construction), doesn't it now make more sense to finish it to Davis and find out whether it spurs tourism development, rather than leave it as is?

A part of my perverse nature applauds the whole thing. WV has given up its riches in coal and timber forever and has gotten very little in return except clearcuts, bulldozed mountaintops and oozing stinking pollution in its streams. On top of that no other states inhabitants are so scorned and ridiculed in the rest of the nation. I say build it and lets hope it gives a big boost to WV tourism.

<<The topic of Corridor H receiving nearly $30 million dollars in Obama's pork ridden 'stimulus' bills was on the news twice this week, once on CNN earlier in the week and then on FOX New's Hannity show on Friday.>>

Bawalker,

If you want us to take this seriously, you really can't call Sean Hannity's program news. Somewhere in there is a lie, an exaggeration, something left out, etc.

The whole point of the stimulus package was to fund shovel ready projects. Corridor H has been shovel ready for a while. I bet there is plenty of wasted money in the bill but building roads sound like it will actually put people to work - in WV! I'd much rather they finished the Intercounty Connector or extended the metro to Dulles but we can't spend all of it around the beltway.

Steve

What bothers me about the whole thing is that, yes we do have a portion of the highway built right now, I don't see that as justification for building more. Especially when the data shows it's severely under-utilized. Putting more money towards a project that is giving no return on the investment even in the foreseeable long term makes no business sense. If corridor h with hard data facts show that traffic usage was going to grow at rates of 15% for the first year, 23.9% the second, and so forth, then that could present possibly a valid argument. But since 2003 when the first section opened till now, I drive it daily and it's deader than a doornail.

Speaking from a business perspective, lets say with my business I decided to go out and build a new office/shop. But instead of just doing a single story building, I aimed for a 20 story tower, with no hard facts to show the other floors would be rented out asap. Thus giving me no hope of recouping my capital investment ever. Imagine if I had hundreds of investors giving me money to pursue that project and it resulted in a 5 employee business using an empty 20 story building we just built. Those investors would be calling for my head and their money back. It's no different with the state and federal government with our tax dollars being that same investment. I'm a firm believer that the government has no capabilities of understanding business principles when it comes to using money that it doesn't have to worry about being held accountable for managing correctly. Thus leading to massive pork where there might be a much smaller legitimate need and turning it into a full blown, over developed and created monstrosity that wouldn't serve a full purpose for 60+ years.

I personally wouldn't mind leaving corridor h as is... as a reminder to corrupted power at it's worst and just abandon the project. While many of us here would love to see a faster way to Canaan/TL, that in the end has no justification for the extent of spending and construction that has gone on so far. Mainly because once again, even 1000 extra drivers on the highway going to Canaan and TL still doesn't generate enough tax revenue in that area to even put a dent in the cost of repayment of the highway.




You know you just described MSNBC, CBS, ABC, NBC, CNN, AP Press, and more!! If you want to keep the label you gave to Fox news and the Hannity show, you can't leave out Chris Matthews on MSNBC who nearly had an orgasmic reaction claiming he had fervering feelings going up and down his leg when a particular politican spoke at a convention, you can't get anymore exaggerating, biased, and or willing to lie for a particular agenda as Mr. Matthews did there. So definitely be sure to include all of that next time in your post too!

I have nothing against projects that creates jobs. But when only a few hundred construction workers are working a temporary project that ends in a few years before many of those people are hunting for jobs once more because the highway itself isn't self generating revenue to reinvest into employee expenses, it's a false hope. A temporary job with the government as a employeer (or contractor) and since we know the gov is so wonderful at fiscal business practices, I'm just waiting for the explanation of how a few hundred jobs here, a few hundred there that only last for a year or two is saving the economy? Isn't restricting the extremely government based limitations on current businesses so that they keep their money, re-invest it because they know how to do that for their own survival sake the best long term strategy? Those are more shovel ready now than even Corridor H is. Take off tax burdens, limitations, and let business... run their own businesses, market their products, sell massively popular products which then creates more jobs to keep up with product demand. In many cases lifting those tax burdens, restrictions, and limitations would give an immediate breath of life into the economy that would endure for decades if left that way. Leaving the government to actually shrink and take a very hands off approach. It's basic economics 101.

Oh, and for Scott that's watching, this IS ski related because I mentioned Canaan and TL in here.

Theres no traffic on it because it just links together to small towns...duh...Campbell Brown on CNN calls it the road to nowhere, well it ain't done yet...duh...it might not ever link to 81...well guess what we got our own economy here it WV to.

Everyone seems to be missing the bigger picture here. Yeah it will make it easier for tourist from Virginia to get to the Davis area. That is great and will surely give a boost to the local economies along the way. But no-one seems to realize that the completion of this road to the Elkins portion will connect northern WV to the 79 corridor with Charleston and Morgantown. Can you imagine the huge growth in business along the Corridor H when you can get on a four line highway from Charleston /Morgantown Clarksburg/Weston /Buchanon /Elkins / Parsons / Davis/Wardensvill and all the towns along the way. Can you imagine the badly needed job opportunities that will open up for people living in towns along the way. This is what Infrastructure is supposed to do...connect towns and areas to make business and travel easier!!!

The media is just so fast to jump on pork spending that they don't even really research what is valuable or worthwhile. And some locals are pissed because it goes through there back yard. But make no mistake the completion of that road is badly needed and will do nothing but good for the economy of northern WV.

This is the best solution. I first heard the phrase "Corridor H" as a freshman at D&E in 1980. For those, who have been to Elkins, you can see a road from no where to no where before you get to town on 55/33. It did create some good ice climbing opportunities on the cuts--though. With the upgrade 48 to I-68, I think that many of the through-road arguments between 79 and 81 are gone. The only reason to build it now IMHO is for tourism. I do think it will make a difference for the Valley--not so much for SS with the Northern route. There is a strong perception, which is in fact a reality, that to get to the area is a hard drive. 42, 50, 33/55 are all challenges in iffy weather. Compare this to the Interstate drives to Wisp, SS, HV, and the Pocono's. The money market for the Valley is DC/Balto and the faster and safer you can get those people there the better.

So build it to Davis, and see what happens. I think most of it, except up by Scheer is graded correct?? Once you get up along 93 and the power plant, the rest is easy.

Keith the new plan is not to connect to the old Corridor H on 33 east of Elkins anymore, but rather to go up near 219 towards parsons then to span Douglas(outside of Thomas). They built a section from elkins to Kerns on the 219 route about 4 years ago. As a local business owner I am eager for the section from Wardensville to Davis to be completed but more eager for the section from Davis to Elkins to be completed. This section will connect Tucker County to the 79 corridor and will surely bring lots of industry jobs as well as tourism jobs.

I know all the local county organizations have rallied for funding from the new stimulous package for the completion of Corridor H. In my opinion more money should have been allocated....and would have if it was a project inside the beltway or if it was for some beltway bandit contracting job.

By the way they don't allow Ice Climbing on the old Corridor H anymore. It is a shame..I don't climb,but looks like some pretty awesome Ice formations there.

Tucker, I wrote my response before I saw yours. If you all think the 79 link is that important, you won't get an argument from me. I just see more potential and $$$ from the East, than from the West or the South. I understand the new alignment--I was just trying to highlight what happens when you abandon a plan.

I could have made the same under-use arguments about I-68 when it was first completed, which I travel frequently. Very under-utlized until the late 90's.

I am always amazed when I travel back to the area how little has changed since I was in college (85 flood excepted). This is a good or bad thing dependent upon perspective, but I suspect even a little increased oppurtunity in the area will not spoil the view and the charm.

I can recall many roads/bridges to nowhere. There was a stretch of US Rt 22 which was built at Weirton, WV that went between two exits for years before PA and OH stepped to the plate to complete their sections and have a badly needed river crossing at Steubenville, OH and a four lane to PGH. There was the bridge to nowhere in downtown PGH which now connects to I 79 north of the city.
I 66 didn't connect to I 81 for years because the section from Front Royal to the Plains wasn't even started. I can go on and on but if you get my drift, these infrastructures were planned for an eventual purpose. Corridor H will serve the area of Northern WV after completed. Until then, we will complain of pork, pigs, and political pundants because it seems like a waste. Might be for all we know now, but it does give some element of hope to those needing it the most. Better spend it here than spend it on the other side of the world where we receive no direct positive impact.