The traffic cones along State Routes 19 and 34 in Hurricane signal the beginning of road construction which will relieve evening rush hour traffic.

Mountaineer Contractors of Kingwood, West Virginia, submitted a low bid of $1,448,588.06 to construct an additional lane between the intersection of State Route 19 with 34 and Lynn Street in Hurricane a long time ago. Mountaineer’s bid was accepted by the West Virginia Department of Highways in November, 2019 (before Covid-19 was known to exist).

Currently, each and every evening, Monday through Friday, traffic is backed up from the westbound I-64 Exit ramp to the intersection of 19 and 34, a distance of one half mile. When complete, the additional lane will eliminate two traffic light stops for motorists seeking to reach Virginia Avenue via Lynn Street.

The construction will affect east and westbound traffic on State Route 34 as well as State Route 19 traffic. The project is slated to be completed in February, 2023.