Detour in place while project underway; WVDOH encourages motorists to plan ahead
| A contract to stabilize a rockslide-prone section of mountain high above US 340 near Harpers Ferry is scheduled to begin Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2023. |
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In May 2023, Triton Construction Inc. was awarded a contract for $10,277,500 to remove rock and install rockfall barriers on a one mile section of US 340 where it hugs the Shenandoah River just south of Harpers Ferry. The project will require closing US 340 completely until the project is complete.
Work is scheduled to be completed within 90 days. Access to the Appalachian Trail over the US 340 bridge across the Shenandoah River will remain open through the construction period, but may be interrupted for brief periods of time to allow helicopters to access the work site.
US 340 is a high-traffic volume corridor carrying about 24,500 vehicles a day including local, commuter, and truck traffic from West Virginia, Virginia, and Maryland.
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A posted detour around the project area during work will be WV 9 and Virginia SR 9 and Virginia SR 671. Work is being scheduled after Memorial Day and before Christmas to lessen the impact on the traveling public.
The WVDOH encourages all motorists to allow extra time when traveling near Harpers Ferry and the surrounding area.
The contract calls for stabilizing the corridor through rock slope scaling, localized rock bolting, and removal of potential large scale rockfall hazards. Additionally, the slope will have rockfall mitigation efforts including draped and pinned mesh, ground-level rockfall barriers, and on-slope rockfall attenuator systems.
US 340 along the Shenandoah River was built in the mid-1950s. The cut slopes and exposed rock tower from 150 to more than 300 feet above the roadway. Triton will remove rock and install barriers to minimize potential hazards to the traveling public.
The WVDOH is working closely with the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) to coordinate the project. The WVDOH will issue additional press releases to keep the public informed of progress on the project.
Road conditions and travel information can also be found on WV 511.