MUB assist for industrial park bridge challenge comes with issues

MORGANTOWN — The Morgantown Utility Board absolutely helps the West Virginia Division of Highways plan to construct a brand new highway and bridge connecting U.S. 119 to the Morgantown Industrial Park. 

The utility “appreciates the significance of the bridge challenge to our neighborhood.”

However it has issues. 

The popular location of the challenge, introduced by the DOH as “Different 3,” would hook up with U.S. 119 close to Scott Avenue, embrace a multi-span bridge throughout the river and tie into an improved Rail Road, which is a part of the commercial park’s current avenue community.  

That may put the bridge about 7,500 toes, or roughly 1.5 miles, from MUB’s major consuming water consumption. 

MUB Basic Supervisor Mike McNulty addressed that problem in an Oct. 10 letter to the DOH. 

“We’re involved that building actions will trigger vital sediment disturbances which may negatively influence the ten+ million gallons of supply water our remedy plant processes each day,” McNulty defined, noting “vital care” have to be taken throughout building to forestall river contamination. 

MUB Communications Director Chris Dale stated further particulate within the water may require extra processing however would current “no threat to the well being of the neighborhood.” 

The brand new bridge can even convey with it elevated truck visitors hauling potential contaminants to and from the commercial park. 

“A spill occasion on or close to the proposed bridge poses a big threat of contaminating the general public’s consuming water provide given the proximity and fast journey time to our consumption,” McNulty wrote. 

When it comes to supply water safety, any potential contaminant inside 5 hours movement time of MUB’s consumption — be it alongside the Monongahela River or one among its tributaries — is taken into account contained in the “zone of important concern.” 

McNulty stated the placement most popular for the brand new bridge is “mere minutes” from MUB’s water remedy plant. 

He requested MUB be notified instantly of any potential contamination throughout building, including “In such an occasion, time can be of the essence …” 

The opposite viable bridge location introduced by the DOH, generally known as Different 1, would assemble the span between the Morgantown Lock and the BFS gasoline station at 305 Don Knotts Boulevard. 

This location can be downstream of MUB’s consumption website. 

Requested if this location can be preferable to MUB, Dale stated “MUB absolutely helps the placement chosen by stakeholders and our authorities companions.”