Pricey DOH, neglecting is abdicating

The season is altering, the climate is cooling, the times are shorter and the leaves are placing on their autumn colours. But one factor stays the identical: The state-maintained roads are nonetheless in horrible situation.

Medians are overgrown, ditches haven’t been cleared, potholes are popping up like spring dandelions and a few stretches of pavement have extra ripples and waves than the Mon River after a storm. And that doesn’t appear more likely to change anytime quickly.

Native officers, together with members of the Monongalia County Fee and municipal governments, have repeatedly tried to succeed in out to the West Virginia Division of Highways’ state workplace to seek out options. They maintain getting blown off.

The Metropolis of Morgantown has made a number of presents to take over look after state roads inside metropolis limits in trade for reimbursement. The WVDOH has formally rebuffed it. In September, DOH Chief Engineer of Operations Joe Pack stated, “The WVDOH will not be going to entertain any concepts which contain abdicating our accountability in sustaining the roads within the state of West Virginia.”

“Abdicate” is usually understood to imply voluntarily giving up a place or accountability. However “abdicate” additionally means to fail or refuse to meet a accountability or obligation. And as anybody can see by our uncared for state roads, the WVDOH abdicated its accountability in Monongalia County way back.

To be clear, we aren’t throwing DOH District 4, our native district, below the proverbial bus.  District 4’s employees do what they will with what they’ve.

Nearly all the issues we face relating to the state of our state roads could be traced again to Charleston and the inaction — deliberate or not — of leaders there. So we suggest sending your complaints on to the supply.

Fill out a highway request right here: https://webapps.transportation.wv.gov/swat/

Ship an electronic mail to [email protected] or name 800-642-9292 or 833-987-6237.

If you want to personally attain out to Commissioner of Highways Jimmy Wriston, you may ship him an electronic mail at [email protected] or name him at 304-558-0444.

You may as well ship bodily mail to West Virginia Division of Transportation, Constructing 5, 1900 Kanawha Blvd. E, Charleston, WV 25305.

When emailing or mailing, it’s possible you’ll need to contemplate together with images of the highway in query. Because the saying goes, seeing is believing.

If you happen to aren’t positive if a selected avenue belongs to town or to the state, verify this map: https://tinyurl.com/citystateroads. On it, city-owned streets are purple; state-maintained roads (together with U.S., state and county routes) are in yellow, darkish crimson and orange.

Whether or not you select to electronic mail, write or name, please keep in mind to be well mannered. The lengthy neglect of our roads has left many people simmering in frustration. We need to be the metaphorical squeaky wheel that will get the oil, however do not forget that you catch extra flies with honey than with vinegar. We wish their consideration — not their resentment. In any other case, they’ll proceed “abdicating” the care of our roads.