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By Liz Beavers
lbeavers@newstribune.info
Tribune Managing Editor
PIEDMONT – State Route 46 – both the road itself and the trees hanging over it – are a concern for the Piedmont Mayor and Council and were a topic of discussion for Mayor Skip Clifford at Mineral County Day at the Legislature.
Mayor Clifford, who attended Mineral County Day on Thursday, Jan. 12, reported on his meeting with the West Virginia Division of Highways Wednesday during the regular Piedmont Council meeting.
“I really enjoyed Mineral County Day; I talked to everybody I could talk to,” he said.
Clifford told the council members that Mineral County Commissioner Janice LaRue, who is also a Piedmont resident, took multiple photos showing the problems along Route 46 between Keyser and Piedmont. Among the issues are deteriorating guardrails, pavement built up too high, and dangerous curves.
“She went all up and down the road and took pictures; I think it really opened up their eyes,” he said of the legislators and DOH officials who saw the photos.
Clifford also talked to DOH officials about the problem of tractor trailers getting stuck on the narrow streets of Piedmont.
He explained that, although the DOH has erected signs on West Piedmont Street (Route 46) in Keyser advising that the road is not suitable for large rigs as it enters into Piedmont, the drivers heading to NewPage are apparently being sent that way to avoid the bridge construction in Keyser.
The mayor also feels the signs are too small and many drivers do not notice them.
Commissioner Ray Hall also observed that the drivers “blindly follow their GPS,” which takes them the shortest – but not necessarily the safest – route to their destination.
Commissioner Bob Fike has a major concern with the many trees which are overhanging the highway and creating a safety hazard for the motorists that use it.
“There's trees laying on the lines; one of these days they're going to fall and someone is going to get hurt or killed,” he said.
“Some of the trees are already uprooted,” Commissioner Grace Russell noted.
Hall called it “an accident waiting to happen.”
Fike suggested getting together with the keyser mayor and council to take the concerns to the state.
“I think that with two communities coming together as one, we'd have a little more say,” he said.
Clifford hopes to meet with representatives of Keyser soon to discuss these concerns.
With that in mind, he also suggested that a monthly meeting of all the county's mayors would be beneficial.
“We could discuss some of the things, like Route 46, that we're concerned about and maybe get something done,” he said.
The next Piedmont meeting is Wednesday, Feb. 8, at 6 p.m.
By Liz Beavers
lbeavers@newstribune.info
Tribune Managing Editor
PIEDMONT – State Route 46 – both the road itself and the trees hanging over it – are a concern for the Piedmont Mayor and Council and were a topic of discussion for Mayor Skip Clifford at Mineral County Day at the Legislature.
Mayor Clifford, who attended Mineral County Day on Thursday, Jan. 12, reported on his meeting with the West Virginia Division of Highways Wednesday during the regular Piedmont Council meeting.
“I really enjoyed Mineral County Day; I talked to everybody I could talk to,” he said.
Clifford told the council members that Mineral County Commissioner Janice LaRue, who is also a Piedmont resident, took multiple photos showing the problems along Route 46 between Keyser and Piedmont. Among the issues are deteriorating guardrails, pavement built up too high, and dangerous curves.
“She went all up and down the road and took pictures; I think it really opened up their eyes,” he said of the legislators and DOH officials who saw the photos.
Clifford also talked to DOH officials about the problem of tractor trailers getting stuck on the narrow streets of Piedmont.
He explained that, although the DOH has erected signs on West Piedmont Street (Route 46) in Keyser advising that the road is not suitable for large rigs as it enters into Piedmont, the drivers heading to NewPage are apparently being sent that way to avoid the bridge construction in Keyser.
The mayor also feels the signs are too small and many drivers do not notice them.
Commissioner Ray Hall also observed that the drivers “blindly follow their GPS,” which takes them the shortest – but not necessarily the safest – route to their destination.
Commissioner Bob Fike has a major concern with the many trees which are overhanging the highway and creating a safety hazard for the motorists that use it.
“There's trees laying on the lines; one of these days they're going to fall and someone is going to get hurt or killed,” he said.
“Some of the trees are already uprooted,” Commissioner Grace Russell noted.
Hall called it “an accident waiting to happen.”
Fike suggested getting together with the keyser mayor and council to take the concerns to the state.
“I think that with two communities coming together as one, we'd have a little more say,” he said.
Clifford hopes to meet with representatives of Keyser soon to discuss these concerns.
With that in mind, he also suggested that a monthly meeting of all the county's mayors would be beneficial.
“We could discuss some of the things, like Route 46, that we're concerned about and maybe get something done,” he said.
The next Piedmont meeting is Wednesday, Feb. 8, at 6 p.m.
