Депутаты Западной Вирджинии требуют срочного изучения аварийных участков на шоссе US-35

Delegates from Putnam County request expedited safety, engineering review of U.S. 35 PUTNAM COUNTY, W.Va. (WSAZ) - State delegates from Putnam County jointly sent a letter to West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey and Transportation Secretary Stephen Todd Rumbaugh on Tuesday, requesting an expedited safety and engineering review of several intersections along U.S. 35. “They need to look at this more closely, maybe do some kind of engineering study and see if there’s a way to improve,” said Del. Jim Butler, who represents Putnam County. “The traffic system means nothing if you’re not alive.” Fellow lawmaker Chad Minamyer, who drives U.S. 35 daily and said it’s dangerous, wants something to be done. “It’s just not fun,” Minamyer said. “It’s not enjoyable. If I had any other way to go, I would.” The lawmakers say the intersections they want looked at most urgently is Hurricane Creek Road and Plantation Road, Little Sixteen Mile Creek Road. Then, Staves Branch, Crystal Springs, Tuckers Branch. “Long overdue,” Minamyer said. “So, that’s long overdue, I would say, because there’s been many accidents on 35 just, you know, over the years outside of even the more recent ones. There’s been a lot of lives lost on that road, and I think it’s high time for them to do something about it, because it is dangerous. It’s probably the most dangerous section of this road, I bet, in this whole area.” This comes after years of fatal crashes on Rt. 35, most recently a woman died in a two-vehicle crash on Friday. Del. Jim Butler, who drives U.S. 35 a lot throughout the year, said crossing the intersections, especially at Hurricane Creek, can be dangerous. “I drive a semi and often times pull in a trailer, and I’ve had to cross, at Hurricane Creek, cross Route 35 with a, with a truck, with a dozer on a trailer and it is, it’s, it’s very difficult and, and certainly dangerous,” Butler said. The delegates said vehicles and tractor-trailers traveling at highway speeds, limited sight distance in some areas, and the heavy fog that’s a frequent issue along the river make it hard for drivers to arrive home safely. The lawmakers said they want DOT/DOH to consider potential improvements such as turning lanes, flashing warning lights, overhead lighting, additional signage, traffic signals where warranted, or other measures their engineers believe would improve safety. Brent Walker with the Department of Transportation said they plan to do a traffic study on that stretch of road. He said it includes traffic counts, mitigation and accident history. “Yeah, you know, this is, there have been several fatalities on that road and it’s just, it’s really heartbreaking,” Walker said. “And every time, it seems like we’re always in a constant state of review, safety reviews and taking a look at circumstances surrounding every crash. This is no different, this latest one, but prior to that, we had already work, begun working with a consultant on an entire safety review of the entire section of U.S. 35. And so that hasn’t started yet, but it is in the works and we will be taking a look at everything from traffic studies, safety studies and the like.” When WSAZ’s Abbey Lord asked for exact timeline, he replied: “We don’t know. Shortly, we’re under contract now with a consultant to provide those. We just don’t know the start date.” He says the will continue to fix the road dips. To help with enforcement on U.S. 35, Putnam County Sheriff Bobby Eggleton said, “I have always directed extra patrols of Route 35. This has been and will continue to be a priority of my office. The tragic loss of life this time, as well as previously, is something we take seriously. “I beg motorists to take into consideration the road conditions, speed, and weather when traveling Route 35.” Copyright 2026 WSAZ. All rights reserved.