West Virginia Route 10

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

West Virginia Route 10
Length: 148.5 mi[1] (239.0 km)
South end: US 19 near Princeton
Major
junctions:
US 119 in Chapmanville
I-64 at Huntington
North end: US 60 in Huntington
Counties: Mercer, Wyoming, Logan, Lincoln, Cabell
West Virginia Routes
< WV 9 US 11 >
State - County

West Virginia Route 10 is a north/south route from Cabell County to Mercer County in the western and southern regions of West Virginia, USA.

Between the towns of West Hamlin and Man, most of the route closely parallels the course of the Guyandotte River. Thus, it follows a very winding course, with the section from Man to Logan considered highly dangerous and currently under construction. Nonetheless, it is a very scenic highway, and coupled with its relatively light usage, allows for many opportunities for sightseeing and photography of the surrounding mountain landscape.

Contents

[edit] Communities along the route

[edit] Notes

WV 10 south of the Buffalo Creek crossing near Man.
WV 10 south of the Buffalo Creek crossing near Man.

A portion of WV 10 widening was completed in 2001 near Man [2]. It is a four-lane divided highway with controlled access that extends for two miles and includes a crossing over Buffalo Creek. North of that, relocation of WV 10 to the west bank of the Guyandotte River is continuing between Man and Logan. A lengthy bridge over the river was completed north of Man in 2006, however, it stands unused as blasting work is still ongoing north of the span.

In August 2006, several longitudinal cracks were discovered in the river crossing. A task force was established that was composed of officials from the West Virginia Department of Transportation as well as federal officials. The bridge would have featured a two-deck system, with the bottom deck being 6.5 inches while the top is 2 inches in thickness. This is similar to the span over Buffalo Creek which opened several years prior, in which cracks were discovered that were evident through both decks. The Buffalo Creek crossing had both decks stripped in a $4.8 million project, whereas the Guyandotte River crossing only needed concrete sealing treatment since the top deck had yet to be poured[2].

Slated for completion in 2011, the Man to Logan stretch is being upgraded to four-lane controlled-access.

Further north in Cabell County, the segment from Interstate 64 in Huntington, where the current four-lane portion ends, to eight miles south is slated for four-lane widening. The existing facility is two lanes with numerous curves. In 2005, 14 houses were demolished in preparation for the highway's realignment. Construction is slated to begin in 2009.

In addition, the Interstate 64 interchange with WV Rt. 10 is undergoing a widening project from 4 lanes to 6 lanes. Expect major delays in this area for a considerable amount of time.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Distance calculated using Microsoft MapPoint mapping software.
  2. ^ a b Searls, Tom. "Logan bridges portend problems." 19 Aug 2006 West Virginia Gazette. 29 Oct 2006 [1].