Contractors settled steel girders into place on the bridge at the northern end of the U.S. 522 Bypass two weeks ago, making progress on a significant connection point for the project. The bridge goes over the Warm Springs Run and the rail bed that will be the future North Berkeley Rail Trail. 
West Virginia Division of Highways District 5 Supervisor Lee Thorne said on Monday the bypass is still on a solid timeline for an October 2027 opening.
The bridge is very close to where the bypass will reconnect to the existing U.S. 522. Thorne said the design from the contractors still calls for a T-intersection with turn lanes for traffic leaving and getting onto the bypass. He acknowledged that kind of intersection creates a lot of braking, which impacts both drivers and the asphalt surface of the road. There’s been no talk of a traffic signal at that location, Thorne said in response to questions from The Morgan Messenger.
