What roads need fixing?

[Lyn Widmyer]

WV Highway officials are meeting with the County Commission on May 22. One of the topics will be how to re-distribute the $30 million allocated for snow removal for the state since we had such a mild winter. Of course, $30 million for the state isn't much, but we want to make sure Jefferson County gets a fair share. What are your suggestions for local roads that need repair? What other transportation topics are of interest?

Thanks for your input!

Lyn Widmyer

[LFE]

Mission Rd south to 7.
- We need faster access to VA national golf course and watermellon park...

[Chutney Daftcraft]

Wren Lane in Shannondale between Moonridge and Skyline (one block) *NEEDS* to be paved! Instead, they are wasting time, effort, and money to maintain THAT road as a gravel road. It's ridiculous how much maintenance that road demands compared to the zero maintenance it would demand as a paved street.

[derricksonb]

Lyn,

My suggestion would be for the state to identify those that are in most disrepair and repave (not patch) the county's "orphaned roads" that are used as bus routes. While I'm sure that we'd all like for the state to come in and pave the roads on which we reside there has to be a practical use of state funds that would be of greatest benefits to the residents and the county agencies.

[AAT53]

Caesar, Gray Squirrel (both get nasty pot holes when it rains). Gray Squirrel has two spots where water run-off causes mini ditches in the road and many people end up bottoming out their car (and the vast majority of the people are not going fast at all).

Wild Hare. It gets HUGE ruts in it from rain water running down it. If it is wet at all then people spin tires trying to get up it, which adds to the rut problem. Also, when it is wet and the trash truck goes up/down it the ruts are pretty large.

Chipmunk (the part that goes from Caesar to Wild Hare) is also bad. Flop Ear gets bad, but they did fix the drainage at the end (where it meets Wild Rose) so that part isn't nearly as bad as it used to be.

I agree with derricksonB. The state needs to stop wasting money on gravel and start getting serious about paving the roads it can. I know that with water run-off there are some roads that won't be easy to fix, but there are others that they could fix. An example: Gray Squirrel has run-off that goes across the road (right near where it crosses with Wild Hare). This causes at least one large rut (sometimes more). If they put a drainage tube in there (and do it correctly, not just slap it in to get it done) then the problem would be solved. This is also a road that gets quite a bit of traffic (for the area anyways) and the gravel gets picked up in tires, etc. quickly. They put it down and within a week you can't even tell they had done it.

[Mountain Momma & Poppa]

Valley View Road between Grey Fox and Deerfoot, it is nearly impassable after a decent rain due to run-off cutting a huge river like hole in the road. Gravel has been put on it every other year just to watch it wash away, seems like a waste to me. Might as well just pave it a be done with it for the next 10 years.... I hope it happens...

[AAT53]

Valley View Road between Grey Fox and Deerfoot, it is nearly impassable after a decent rain due to run-off cutting a huge river like hole in the road. Gravel has been put on it every other year just to watch it wash away, seems like a waste to me. Might as well just pave it a be done with it for the next 10 years.... I hope it happens...

I have driven on that stretch a few times and it sucked. Whenever I had to go up that way I always brought the truck because I didn't want to risk it with the car.

[twodogs]

Wren Lane in Shannondale between Moonridge and Skyline (one block) *NEEDS* to be paved! Instead, they are wasting time, effort, and money to maintain THAT road as a gravel road. It's ridiculous how much maintenance that road demands compared to the zero maintenance it would demand as a paved street.

I agree with Chutney! And that little one block section is the main road used in and out by numerous gate-one residents who live on top of the moutain!

[shadowplay]

Wren Lane in Shannondale between Moonridge and Skyline (one block) *NEEDS* to be paved! Instead, they are wasting time, effort, and money to maintain THAT road as a gravel road. It's ridiculous how much maintenance that road demands compared to the zero maintenance it would demand as a paved street.

Deerfoot Rd., above Johnnycake up to Valley View, is very much like this. It is very steep and one of the very few vertical roads left unpaved. Sometimes it is repaired with gravel and is destroyed again within a week when a storm comes through. Also, after rains much of the gravel that has been used on it washes down onto Johnnycake, covering a stretch that has a sharp turn, making the spot hazardous until cleared. Back in '99-'00 when the state did their paving up here we were told by workers that Deerfoot was the "next road to get paved" then the whole project stopped.

Deerfoot Rd. between Stone Ridge Rd. and Rolling Rd. during storm last April.

[Chupula]

Sylvan Lane is the main thoroughfare for emergency fire equipment when there is major fire on the higher elevations of the mountain... it is presently gravel. Seems to me it would make sense to keep this road order for that reason alone.

[Willis]

The first task is to identify which roads are privately owned (e.g. by an HOA) and those maintained by the State and which of those in the latter category are considered "orphan roads". I could make a blanket statement and say ALL the roads in Westridge Hills or all roads constructed parallel to the Blue Ridge's slope are abysmally bad, but if they are privately owned the State will have no responsibility for maintenance. And the State is prohibited by law from upgrading the "orphans" w/o approval of the State Transportation Secretary.

IMHO, we need a cooperative effort of the citizens, the county's GIS department, Emergency Services and other affected groups to map the roads on the mountain and rate their condition and under whose responsibility they fall. perhaps some of the groundwork has already been done by the GIS office. Lol, personal priorities almost always put the road in front of your house at the top of your list.

[mkvance]

What is an "orphan road"?

[LFE]

Private roads that found no love from those that lived on them anymore...
- beware the intersections.

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[Kensey]

What is an "orphan road"?

Roads that were formerly owned and maintained by HOAs or other associations that no longer exist. Basically all the roads in Shannondale fall into this category. A decade or two ago the state set up an orphan roads program to "adopt" those roads and at least maintain them in present condition at time of adoption, but I understand no money has been allocated to that purpose for several years, so even that isn't really done any more.

[Willis]

http://www.legis.state.wv.us/wvcode/...chap=17&art=2C

This section of the code give chapter and verse and if you can wade thru the legalese, a pretty good explanation. The big drawback (with emphasis added) is in this subsection:

§17-2C-5. Upgrading of roads and bridges in maintenance system.
Roads and bridges accepted into the maintenance system under the provisions of this article are admitted only for the purposes of maintenance. No upgrading of said roads and bridges is to be undertaken unless otherwise determined by the commissioner of highways.

I've been told on numerous occasions, by a number of governmental sources, that the Commissioner very rarely grants exceptions. And, as Kensey says up-thread, money isn't allocated by the State Legislature to even perform much needed, routine repairs and maintenance.

[John]

What is an "orphan road"?

"Orphan Roads" are roads in places where people don't vote.

[Pat_13]

Wren Lane in Shannondale between Moonridge and Skyline (one block) *NEEDS* to be paved! Instead, they are wasting time, effort, and money to maintain THAT road as a gravel road. It's ridiculous how much maintenance that road demands compared to the zero maintenance it would demand as a paved street.

X3

I think they are repairing it about every 3-4 months and it could use it more often.

[ministerswife]

WOW! You really don't want my answer so I’ll just say "Good Luck".

[cindylu]

Roads that were formerly owned and maintained by HOAs or other associations that no longer exist. Basically all the roads in Shannondale fall into this category. A decade or two ago the state set up an orphan roads program to "adopt" those roads and at least maintain them in present condition at time of adoption, but I understand no money has been allocated to that purpose for several years, so even that isn't really done any more.

Your second sentence gives some hope. After today/tomorrow's heavy rains the roads in need of repair will be pretty evident especially with the run-off we're so used to seeing and driving through after such rains.

Lyn, do you plan on driving around a actually looking at the roads or do you send a crew?? Many thanks.

[mamaganouche]

Repainting the white and yellow lines on 9 would help us older folks who have to drive in the dark.