Letter to the Editor: Extend Route 2 project south
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I am informed that a legislative bill (House Bill 2539, dated April 12, 1997) established a Route 2/I-68 Authority to advocate the widening of the West Virginia Route 2 to four lanes from Parkersburg to Chester and also extending the I-68 Corridor from Morgantown to Route 2. Bob Miller of Wheeling is the officer in charge of that authority and Wood County has two representatives on the authority, along with the other counties involved.
I believe we need a similar authority to promote the four-laning of Route 2 south of Parkersburg to Interstate 64 in Huntington. The aforementioned existing authority has had considerable success in getting northerly sections of Route 2 four-laned, including the project presently under construction extending to the Route 2 and Route 31 intersection. I am not aware of anyone or any organization doing anything to improve Route 2 south.
I believe everyone and particularly our office holders and leaders including the Wood County Commission, the chambers of commerce and the development office need to make a very direct and concerted effort to obtain an authority for such widening south. I would urge a meeting of the Wood County Commission and the county commissioners in Jackson, Mason and Cabell counties working with the legislative representatives of those counties to pass a bill establishing such authority. I believe everyone in Wood County should urge everything be done that can be done to accomplish the widening of Route 2 to four lanes.
I also believe the Wood County representatives on the present authority, whoever they are, should report what the authority is presently doing to complete the four-laning north.
Robert Friend
Vienna