What is Corridor H?

When it comes to road safety and highway services, it is very crucial that the roads are built with proper safety measures and at the same time, provide the sort of interest and relaxation that makes it easier for the travellers to take their long trips without feeling completely tired and intense. In the case of Virginia, if one is to go from Elkins and pass through Scherr and Thomas towards Moorefield, after which they will end up heading towards the border of Virginia, it has now become a necessity to take a trip that is n early 120 miles long and goes through U.S Route 219 and in the middle, going onto West Virginia State Routes 93, 42 and then 55. This causes passengers to fall into slower traffic and the time required to travel across becomes very long. Therefore, the highway authorities have designed a new road known as Corridor H which will be designated to provide a much more comfortable and safer travelling experience to the motorists without having to mingle in the state highways. This is a really amazing project and coincidentally, it also has a direct involvement with the Reed Farmstead excavation project. To find out more about this road and its connection to Reed Farmstead, keep reading.

Proposed Route

The length of the highway is said to be set at a full 100 miles and given the fact that it will not include any state highways or traffic from the inner parts of the state; it will definitely make the journey much more easier and comfortable. The highway will take the travellers through the east-central part of West Virginia and will and parts of places that fall on the route. These places include a number of counties including Randolph, Grant, Tucker and also Hardy County. On the route, you will come across both of the Appalachian Plateaus, Ridge and Valley provinces. The overall road will extend from Elkins towards the state border with Virginia which is on the east.

Environment

The authority directly in charge for the building of the road is the West Virginia Department of Highways that is particularly keen on making sure that there is as little damage to the wildlife and natural environment as possible from the project and special focus has been given towards the preservation and protection of areas around the proposed route which includes wetlands, fragments of forests, streams and also wildlife. The highway authority is working closely with biological consultants to make sure that every effort is made to protect these landscapes during the project and maintain its beauty.

Mitigation Efforts

In order to make sure that the project is doing as little amount of damage to the surrounding areas as possible, the highway authority is keen on handling mitigations with the highest level of professionalism and that includes three steps. The first is to avoid sensitive resources that fall in the way as much as possible. The second is to make sure that the extent of impact is as minimized as possible and the third is to make sure that any impact that is unavoidable is compensated for properly. In order to make sure that the whole idea of mitigation is carried out properly, the project also includes an environment monitor whose job is to ensure that all the mitigation is carried out properly and nothing is left damaged in any manner.

The Reed Farmstead Connection

The excavation project going on at Reed Farmstead is being done under the direct supervision of the West Virginia Division of Highways and the reason for that is to ensure that same mitigation policy as is described above because this area comes in direct contact with the Corridor H. Providing proper exaction service and extracting the full value of the site is extremely important because of the National Historical Preservation Act which calls upon the safety of such historical sites as the highest public interest. Therefore, the identification of historical sites like the Reed Farmstead and their preservation is of utmost importance and that is why the highway authority is doing the best it can to provide the maximum amount of preservation to the Reed Farmstead excavation site.

The Corridor H is certainly a great project when it comes to providing the travellers with proper and safe travelling services. However, considering the fact that it puts sites like the Reed Farmstead in direct line of impact, seeing the highway authorities provide logistical support and supervision to its preservation is quite admirable.