By Liz Beavers
lbeavers@newstribune.info
tribune managing editor

BURLINGTON — The West Virginia Division of Highways is reviewing a plan which would eliminate county Route 972 and extend state Route 93 from Scherr to the Blue Jay Bridge, according to Bill Woods of the WVDOH.
Woods told the Route 50 Association Wednesday that, although no decision has yet been made on the routing change, the DOH is looking very seriously at the proposal.
“We don‘t see any reason why we couldn’t do it,” he said, noting that the decision has been slowed by some personnel changes within the state agency.
Woods said the change would make the transit from Corridor H into this area a lot easier.
“If you would get off Corridor H at Scherr, you could follow Route 93 clear to the place where it hits Route 220,” he said. “You’re only involved in following two routes instead of three.”
Presently, state Route 93 coming down the mountain from Scherr flows into U.S. Route 50. Where Route 50 turns east toward Burlington, however, the highway continuing toward Keyser becomes county Route 972 until it flows into U.S. Route 220 at the intersection with the Cut-Off Road, also referred to as the Blue Jay Bridge.
In a related matter, Brian Carr of the WVDOH told the group it was his understanding that a final proposal for the route to be taken by an upgraded U.S. 220 would be “selected sometime in the spring.
“We’ve got a ways to go ... but these things take time,” he said.
The Route 50 Association has long recognized the importance of an updated Route 220 linking Interstate 68 near Cumberland to Corridor H in the Grant/Hardy county area.
They have also advocated Corridor O, which would run from Interstate 68 near Cumberland to Interstate 80 near Bellefonte, PA, and Tuesday asked Cate Johnson of U.S. Rep. Alan Mollohan’s office and Chris Strovel of U.S. Rep. Shelley Moore Capito’s office to pass on to the officials their desire to have them re-introduce a bill proposing the construction of the highway.
Route 50 member Gary Howell suggested the West Virginia Congressmen also be asked to contact Maryland Congressman Roscoe Bartlett to co-sponsor the legislation.
In other business to come before the association Wednesay, Howell presented the members with a draft of the Route 50 brochure he has been developing.
After discussing a few additions, Howell said he hopes to have the final draft to the group for approval at their next meeting, scheduled for Jan. 21.