Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Who is opposed to the current “preferred route?”
A: People who live, work, and play in Tucker County. The alternative “Northern Route” is supported by a majority of business owners: at least 27 businesses in Davis and 24 in Thomas.
Q: Has Corridor H accommodated other communities by avoiding the towns to protect their character?
A: Yes. Corridor H has been constructed around Elkins, Corrick’s Ford Battlefield in Parsons, and Greenland Gap. Business owners in Davis and Thomas don’t want it to be routed right through their adjoining towns and trails.
Q. What do business owners and residents say about the current “preferred route” (in the petition? In a letter? Cite where they say it)
A: “Visual, noise and light pollution will undermine our best tourist attraction.”
Q: Will the “preferred route” assure safe and convenient travel for local drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists on WV-32?
A: No. Not under any scenario: bridge, underpass, or at-grade crossing. Can you say one more sentence about this?
Q: Would the Northern Route alleviate truck traffic in Thomas and on Rt. 32?
A: Yes. A Northern Route would make a seamless bypass around the Towns for through traffic, while providing easy access for travelers heading to this destination.
Q: How do property owners feel about DOH’s current “preferred route?”
A: A survey of homeowners sponsored by the Town of Davis showed that 45% supported the Northern alternative route, and only 14% supported the DOH “preferred route.”
Q. In a nutshell, what are the biggest negative impacts of the current “preferred route?”
A. This route would permanently divide the sister towns of Davis and Thomas with a massive four-lane highway and intersection; then it would erect a giant elevated roadway going through the protected (by whom?) Blackwater Industrial Complex historical area.
Q: How would a route dividing the two towns change the character of Davis and Thomas?
A: It would severely degrade[JO1] the planned family-friendly rail trail project and proposed connector trail between the two towns. DOH’s route would cross the rail trail in 3 separate places. It will damage the rural, peaceful character of nearby Blackwater Falls State Park—our State’s most visited park—with noise and light pollution.
Q: Will the towns of Davis or Thomas be sued if they do not agree to endorse the “preferred route”?
A: No. The towns of Thomas and Davis were not parties to the Corridor H settlement agreement reached in 2000. In fact, there is a substantial likelihood that DOH will be sued if it pursues the current route, unnecessarily delaying Corridor H construction.
Q: Will selecting a better route for Corridor H prevent it from being built?
A: No. The design of Corridor H is not final, and a final environmental impact analysis process, begun in summer 2022 is incomplete. This process specifically requires the WVDOH to explore alternative routes. While the DOH now claims that all other routes are infeasible, this is clearly not accurate, as earlier studies have shown. DOH is not addressing how its preferred route would harm the very values that draw visitors and new residents to this area Local business owners who have raised concerns feel disregarded.
Q: Where would DOH’s “preferred route” cross the Blackwater Canyon?
A. DOH’s“preferred route” would cross the North Fork of the Blackwater River at the historic districts of Coketon and Douglas plus go through the Monongahela National Forest. A huge, elevated concrete and metal overpass would be the first thing that hikers and bikers on the Blackwater Canyon Rail Trail from Thomas would encounter.