Transportation in West Virginia explained

Transport in the U.S. state of West Virginia is handled by the West Virginia Department of Transportation (WVDOT) which employs more than 6,000 in West Virginia.[1]

Transportation in West Virginia includes the following.

Roads

Interstate highways

See main article: List of Interstate Highways in West Virginia.

U.S. Highways

See main article: List of U.S. Highways in West Virginia.

  • U.S. Route 460

West Virginia State Highways

See main article: List of state routes in West Virginia.

Airports

Railroads

While West Virginia was once crisscrossed with commercial and passenger railroad networks, the decline of the coal and timber industries, coupled with the rise of the automobile, led to a sharp drop in track mileage in the state. Many of the former railroad grades are used as trails for hiking and biking throughout the state's numerous woodlands.

Today, West Virginia is serviced by two Amtrak lines: one that cuts through the southern portion of the state, including stops in Huntington and Charleston, and one that cuts through the state's Eastern Panhandle, including stops in Martinsburg and Harpers Ferry. The Eastern Panhandle is also serviced during the week by MARC's Brunswick commuter rail line, which terminates in Martinsburg. Commercial railroads still operate in the state, mainly hauling coal to inland ports such as Huntington-Tristate (the nation's largest inland port) and Pittsburgh.

Bridges and tunnels

As a mountainous state, bridges and tunnels play an important role in transportation in West Virginia. Notable bridges and tunnels include:

Rapid transit

Rivers

Rivers with commercial barge traffic and docks in West Virginia include:[2]

Navigation locks and dams in West Virginia:[3] [4]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: About Us . 2023-02-21 . transportation.wv.gov . en.
  2. http://www.wvdot.com/5_rivers/5_rivers.htm West Virginia Department of Transportation, Rivers Section web page, accessed 9 June 2006
  3. http://www.lrh.usace.army.mil/ U.S. Corps of Engineers, Huntington District web site, accessed 9 June 2006
  4. http://www.lrp.usace.army.mil/ U.S. Corps of Engineers, Pittsburgh District web site, accessed 9 June 2006