Article: New Rt 9 @ Keyes Gap + Construction Photos

[Tony]

By the time the weight of a truck gets down to the tunnel I suspect the pounds per square inch is not much at all. Remember all the fill between the two serves to spread out the load.

[Chutney Daftcraft]

But when you look at it's top/roof as you enter it - especially when going towards 340 - it's creepy as hell. I get on edge every time I pass under it. It looks and feels like something is just not quite right about it. It's hard to explain to folks that don't notice the vibes things and situations can give off. It's giving off all sorts of bad vibes. When I look at it, I don't even see it as a tunnel. I see it as a newspaper article on the center of the front page in The Journal. I hope I'm wrong.

[Willis]

Some questions are answered about projected opening, design and such. Missing is any mention of a 4 lane highway ending in a two lane bottleneck and potential traffic nightmare. The oversight is probably the result of a subconscious hope that if it's ignored, maybe it won't become reality kinda like whistlin' past the graveyard

Crossing Over
Bridge across Shenandoah to open by end of 2012

Matt Armstrong - Journal Staff Writer

CHARLES TOWN - While the initial estimated completion date to open a new section of W.Va. 9 in Jefferson County was set for this summer and will not be met, state officials believe the road will open by late this year...


...The approximately 5.5-mile portion of highway has an estimated cost of $80 million, and the 1,654-foot bridge has a price of $40 million, according to Jim Golden, the West Virginia Department of Transportation's project manager for this portion of W.Va. 9...


...The Shenandoah River bridge will be the largest bridge in North America to use a double delta frame, and it may be the largest in the world to use that frame, according to Golden....

Read the full article HERE

[trollibear]

Chutney, I think your concerns are legit!! My hubby has been in road construction most of his life. He always said that tunnel just doesn't look right from day one. After construction they had to redo A LOT of it a few months later. Remember when the Bloomery was shut down last year.
We travel that road just about every day. Still, at least every few months they are working IN the tunnel. As a matter of fact, they are there again this week beating some kind of "pipes" in it. It looks like they are trying to create some kind of extra support. My hubby always said "This tunnel will come back to haunt WV forever"!!!!!

There was an article last year about how the state was withholding final payment of that tunnel because it was collapsing. Don't know what became of that.

I hate going through that tunnel. I have premonitions of it collapsing. I don't think I will EVER be able to drive that new road and drive on top of that thing.

[Tony]

I don't know why anyone would worry about the tunnel when it's this "delta frame" bridge that's actually experimental new. I mean, when was the last time you saw a tunnel collapse in the news? And if it did collapse all at once what are the odds it would do it when you're inside it?

The Shenandoah River bridge will be the largest bridge in North America to use a double delta frame, and it may be the largest in the world to use that frame, according to Golden.
"It's cost-effective. We actually saved a lot of money doing this over what other competing designs offered," Golden said. "It's a good design structurally. It's not as aesthetically pleasing as an upside-down arch like the New River Gorge, but it's easier to build and it's cheaper to build."

[Willis]

this "delta frame" bridge that's actually experimental new...It's not as aesthetically pleasing....

And that seems to be the UGLY TRUTH

[Ricky]

I may have missed it, but I'm curious why it is that they chose that design over other common designs. Just 'cause?

[KatherineA]

Most likely because it was the cheapest and who cares if it falls in the Shendandoah anyway. That'll teach those uppity Jefferson County people.

[LFE]

They were denied being the highest...

[Ricky]

This design very obviously uses more steel building materials than a traditional kind of "pillar/piling" design. So, I kind of doubt that it cost anything less.

[KatherineA]

This design very obviously uses more steel building materials than a traditional kind of "pillar/piling" design. So, I kind of doubt that it cost anything less.

According to the quoted officials it was cheaper to build:

. . . according to Golden.

"It's cost-effective. We actually saved a lot of money doing this over what other competing designs offered," Golden said. "It's a good design structurally. It's not as aesthetically pleasing as an upside-down arch like the New River Gorge, but it's easier to build and it's cheaper to build."

[Ricky]

That's kind of surprising to me, but I'm no bridge builder either.

[LFE]

Its not always about how cool they look while we need them... you have to think about how cool it looks to dropem..

1. 0:41
   Jamestown Bridge Demolition (w/Sound)
   
   

[Tony]

Puzzling why he calls NRG an "upside down" arch, because pictures clearly show nothing of the sort.

[charliepff]

I agree with you on that one tony.

I cam throught the tunnel the other day and they were working on it again. I stopped and looked at it and I could not belive all of the cracks in the roof of the tunnel. I am kind of curious what is causing them. Poor design maybe? It is ashame that WV could not pressure VA to expand their side of route 9.

[Ricky]

I know. They should've played a little game of "just the tip" and then rammed 4 lanes on in there.

[MoeMoe]

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news...rapped-1145969 it can happen.

[KatherineA]

I went through that tunnel at least 1/2 dozen times on Saturday morning. Creeped me out every time and they were working on the ceiling all morning.