West Virginia Division of Highways announces major construction to start on Jefferson Road widening project

jefferson road overview

The West Virginia Division of Highways announced today that major construction is about to begin on the project to widen Jefferson Road in Kanawha County to five lanes between US 60 and Corridor G.

“This is another project moving forward thanks to the vision of our Governor,” said Jimmy Wriston, P.E., Secretary of Transportation. “It’s very exciting to finally get major dirt moving on this project. Complicated projects sometimes require complicated solutions that take time, and we've had great people working through those complicated issues."

Work to widen Jefferson Road will begin immediately, with the contractor installing silt fences, excavating, and demolishing 16 homes south of Kanawha Turnpike to make way for the widening project. By the end of April, motorists should notice work beginning on pilings and abutments for the new bridge.

The announcement was made at a public meeting today in South Charleston, where members of the public were able to ask questions and hear from DOT officials.

Wriston said Gov. Justice’s Roads to Prosperity highway construction and maintenance program allowed the WVDOT to free up federal funds and state money to pay for the Jefferson Road project.

MEDIA: For B-Roll Drone Footage of Jefferson Road, Click Here.

In April 2019, Gov. Justice approved the bid award for the project to Kokosing Construction Company for $46.8 million to design and build the five-lane upgrade. Since then, much work has been done behind the scenes, planning, obtaining rights of way, and making arrangements to move utilities along the route.

However, Wriston said the complicated project has taken time. Contractors have had to coordinate with utility companies, the city of South Charleston, CSX Transportation, and various property owners along the approximately 1.7-mile route.

In addition to widening Jefferson Road to five lanes, the project will replace a congested dogleg intersection and rail crossing at the intersection of Kanawha Turnpike and Jefferson Road with a new bridge and roundabout. Heavy growth along Corridor G has led to growing congestion on Jefferson Road, especially during the holiday season and on weekends.

The Jefferson Road widening project will work in conjunction with a new half-mile connector road to link Jefferson Road with RHL Boulevard. That project will add an additional access road to the Trace Fork Shopping Center, allowing direct access to Jefferson Road and alleviating congestion on both Jefferson Road and Corridor G.

In September 2021, Triton Construction Inc. was awarded a contract for more than $10.9 million to build the connector road, which includes the construction of a 420-foot bridge.

The first project in the series of three designed to alleviate congestion on Corridor G was completed in September 2021 when the WVDOH opened West Virginia's first Restricted Crossing U-Turn, or R-CUT, at the intersection of Oakwood Road and Corridor G. The R-CUT was designed to keep traffic flowing smoothly on Corridor G by shortening wait times at the traffic lights and redirecting traffic coming off Oakwood Road to two new U-turns; a faster and safer design.

“This project, in conjunction with the RHL Boulevard project and the new R-CUT, will greatly alleviate congestion along Corridor G and improve travel times once complete,” Wriston said.

West Virginia Division of Highways announces major construction to start on Jefferson Road widening project

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