By Liz Beavers
lbeavers@newstribune.info
managing editor

KEYSER — Four businesses and two residential properties are all that remain for the West Virginia Division of Highways to settle in order to pave the way for the construction of the new Memorial Bridge.
Lee Thorne, District 5 engineer with the WV DOH, told members of the U.S. Route 50 Association Tuesday that there are two families in the North End that still need to be relocated.
“Their homes are under the old bridge,” he explained.
The four businesses that need to be relocated are currently in negotiation. They include United Disposal, First United Bank and Trust, the Mineral Daily News Tribune, and the Keyser Volunteer Fire Company.
For the latter, Thorne said the fire company is looking at a site on the former CSX property.
“Our central office is in the process of hiring an architect” for the fire hall, he said.
Advertisement for bids for construction could start appearing as early as this week.
“Our program shows the start of construction for January 2010 and end construction for September 2011,” he said.
“Everything sounds real positive.”