The West Virginia Division of Highways (WVDOH) will temporarily restrict right-hand turns on a tight intersection in downtown Lewisburg.
Temporary traffic control measures will be put in place to notify drivers of large trucks of the change in traffic patterns, while the WVDOH, in conjunction with the city of Lewisburg, conduct studies to come up with a long-term solution to truck traffic in the historic town.
Several large trucks have struck buildings at the intersection of US 60 and US 219 in downtown Lewisburg. The problem is more pronounced for tractor-trailers turning right from US 60.
“There are large trucks that successfully negotiate that corner every day,” said Jim Moore, P.E. WVDOH District 9 Engineer. But local WVDOH officials believe drivers unfamiliar with local roads are failing to take the narrowness of the intersection into account and are striking buildings on the corner.
Lewisburg’s streets were laid out in approximately 1780. Both US 60 and US 219 are two lanes in the area, with on-street parking. Widening both routes would require tearing down buildings.
There is currently no good alternate route for large vehicles traveling through Lewisburg. The WVDOH will be studying possible routes that will avoid tight downtown streets.
“What we need to do is look at making alternate routes to better move traffic through the Lewisburg and Fairlea area,” Moore said. “This will require a cooperative effort with the city.”
The WVDOH is working closely with the city of Lewisburg to figure out exactly how to do that. The first step is to temporarily restrict trucks turning at the intersection until a long-term solution can be found.