After several false starts, the West Virginia Division of Highways on Wednesday morning opened up travel access to part of the U.S. 522 Bypass to the east of Berkeley Springs.
A press release sent out by the DOH at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday said the bypass would be open by noon. The announcement came after The Messenger went to press.
Local motorists reported being able to get on the bypass at 7 a.m.
Signs at the roundabout warn motorists of incoming traffic on the traffic circle, as vehicles can now apparently enter the roundabout from the bypass. The northbound ramp off of the existing U.S. 522 is still closed off with barriers, which means travelers can’t get onto the bypass off the traffic circle. Instead, the next access point for the bypass is at Sugar Hollow Road.
The section of built bypass ends at Fairfax Street, and directs vehicles either to Martinsburg Road to continue east or onto local roads back into downtown Berkeley Springs to get back on the existing U.S. 522.
In the DOH press release, highway officials said: “The opening of the southern corridor of the Berkeley Springs Bypass marks a significant milestone in improving safety and mobility for residents and travelers in the region,” said Transportation Secretary Stephen T. Rumbaugh, P.E. “This new segment provides a more efficient route for traffic. When completed, the bypass will provide for a more efficient route for commercial trucks, helping to ease longstanding congestion in the town of Berkeley Springs.”
A northern half of the bypass, which will complete the semi-circle around Berkeley Springs, is in “active development” said Rumbaugh.
A.L.L. Construction Inc. was awarded the design/build contract for $35 million in 2022 and is working on the route right now. That section will connect back to U.S. 522, and will include a connector road to War Memorial Hospital.
“Design work is advancing, and right-of-way acquisition is ongoing to prepare for future construction,” said Rumbaugh.
Property owners locally are still in negotiations for parcels needed for the bypass, and even those that were taken for the completed portions of the roadway.
Rumbaugh said the northern section of the bypass is expected to open to traffic in 2027.
