by Kate Shunney
Three years after construction began, the 3.4-mile, four-lane U.S. 522 Bypass around Berkeley Springs opened to public traffic last Wednesday, June 25 around 7 a.m.
The West Virginia Division of Highways announced the opening by press release on Tuesday, June 24 at 4:30 p.m.
Last Wednesday morning, local motorists tentatively looked for their easier access point to the new highway and rode the smooth new asphalt, which has sat unused since late last year.
A guardrail issue on the Route 9 Overpass kept the lanes closed until last week.
Because this section of the bypass ends at Fairfax Street, highway officials have opted not to let drivers get on the bypass at the roundabout.
Instead, they can get on at Sugar Hollow Road, Johnson’s Mill Road, Martinsburg Road or Fairfax Street.
The section of completed 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.
Word is the lack of access to the bypass at the roundabout is an effort to keep tractor trailers off the new highway, as they would have to exit onto small roadways near the downtown area that aren’t suitable for large trucks.
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.
Rumbaugh said the northern section of the bypass is expected to open to traffic in 2027.
Locals wonder if the northbound access off the roundabout will remain closed until then.
Signs at the roundabout/ warn motorists of incoming traffic on the traffic circle. This week, drivers started getting used to an additional lane of traffic at the circle, taking turns as the new traffic pattern becomes the norm.
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.”
The original bid for construction of the southern portion of the bypass was $59 million, but highway officials estimated two years ago that the cost would be $75 million. There’s been no public statement yet about the actual cost of the 3.4-mile section.
As for the northern end of the bypass, which will create a full semi-circle around the town, the state said: “Design work is advancing, and right-of-way acquisition is ongoing to prepare for future construction.”
Land clearing for the northern section is already well underway and visible from multiple places in northern Berkeley Springs.
