Corridor H

West Virginia

The West Virginia Department of Transportation, Division of Highways (WVDOH), in conjunction with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), is constructing a 15.3-mile, four-lane divided highway between the unincorporated community of Kerens and the City of Parsons in West Virginia. The Kerens to Parsons roadway is a component of the broader Corridor H project, a 132-mile, four-lane highway that will run between central West Virginia and northern Virginia.

WVDOH selected Michael Baker to serve as the corridor program manager/owner’s representative to provide all services, including stakeholder coordination, environmental permitting, exploratory drilling, preliminary engineering, procurement services, design reviews and dispute resolution support services on their largest-ever design-build construction project. When constructed, Corridor H will be the only limited access highway through the rugged and mountainous terrain of West Virginia’s Appalachian Highlands Region to Interstate 81 in Virginia. With its connection to I-81 to the east and I-79 to the west, Corridor H will provide safe and convenient access to eastern markets, including Washington, D.C.

The corridor route will enhance vehicle safety and increase economic development and tourism across the state. The route also was carefully chosen to avoid the many cultural and historical sites in the region and the project team is focused on minimizing impacts to the environment. All four sections of the Kerens to Parsons roadway are in active design and construction phases and are scheduled to be completed in 2025 and 2026.