West Virginians. Need Help for Travel

[bbinacan]

I have to drive from SW PA to Raleigh, NC. How does I-79 and I-77 look passing through Beckley and Princeton? I hope to leave in the morning. Thanks.

edit to add: I typically jump onto 19 which takes me over the New River Gorge Bridge and allows me to avoid Charleston. Is this a good idea?

[HysteryDiagnosis]

1. Look in here

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/Trafficinfo/

On edit to add this which is way cool... gives speeds traffic is travelling: http://www.chart.state.md.us/MapNet/MapDOTNET.aspx?Browser=NS6&ViewName=Select&Cmd=switchtheme&tab=Traffic&DoPanTo=False&Direction=&PanFactor=&DoZoomScaleFactor=&x=&y=&Encoder=&x1=0&x2=0&y1=0&y2=0&gCenterLat=null&gCenterLon=null&gZoomLvl=null

[doc03]

2. Just don't take any wrong turns

:scared:

[Staph]

3. Here's the WV DOT site

http://www.transportation.wv.gov/highways/traffic/Pages/roadconditions.aspx

And a few details, as of 7:15 PM Saturday

I-77 VA Line to Princeton
Slow Lane contains Slush
Fast Lane is Snow Covered
I-77 Princeton to Ghent (WV Turnpike)
Slow Lane is Snow Covered
Fast Lane is Snow Covered
I-77 Ghent to Mossy (WV Turnpike)
Slow Lane is Snow Covered
Fast Lane is Snow Covered
I-77 Mossy to Charleston (WV Turnpike)
Slow Lane is Snow Covered
Fast Lane is Snow Covered
I-77 Charleston Area
Slow Lane is Wet
Fast Lane contains Slush

I-79 Charleston to Elkview
Slow Lane is Wet
Fast Lane contains Slush
I-79 Elkview to Big Otter
Slow Lane is Wet
Fast Lane is Wet
I-79 Big Otter to Flatwoods
Fast Lane is Wet with Snow Spots
I-79 Flatwoods to Weston
Slow Lane contains Slush with Snow Spots
Fast Lane is Snow Covered
I-79 Weston to South Fairmont
Slow Lane is Snow Covered
Fast Lane is Snow Covered
I-79 South Fairmont to the PA Line
Slow Lane is Snow Covered
Fast Lane is Snow Covered

US 19 Beckley to Summersville
Slow Lane is Snow Covered
Fast Lane is Snow Covered
US 19 Summersville to I-79
Slow Lane is Snow Covered
Fast Lane is Snow Covered


My personal preference would be to take I-79 and I-77, rather than the US-19 shortcut. The Interstates will be better maintained, and there are more resources more readily available if you end up in a ditch.

[bbinacan]

5. Thanks,

I'll probably avoid 19 this time.

[Staph]

10. FYI

The WV Turnpike (I-77 south of Charleston) didn't open until 9:30 pm Saturday, and the Division of Highways is still strongly recommending that drivers stay off the road on Sunday. They are still clearing wrecks from the highway.

Can you wait until Monday?

[bbinacan]

11. To be safe,

I'm leaving Monday. Thanks for the tip!

[ThomWV]

4. When are you traveling?

Today wouldn't be good.

If you want to go over the bridge that's not a bad way to go. Personally I go east on 69 and down through Paw Paw to Winchester, then take 17 over to 95 which then takes me south to wherever. I wouldn't do that today either. I understand a lot of people slept in cars on the WV turnpike (joke) last night but that would have been a lot better than the backroads of western Maryland as you follow the Potomac south and east.

[bbinacan]

6. I hope to leave tomorrow

I will avoid the VA. route because of the snow. Plan to go 79 to 77 to 19 through Beckley. Is this a good idea?

[ThomWV]

7. I'm 19 miles from 79 and couldn't get home this morning with a 4x4 truck

I had to leave my truck at the bottom of the hill (3/4 mile from the house) because both of my attempts to get back home resulted in 180's on the hill and a lot of backward sliding heading down. It has snowed another half foot since then and its not supposed to stop until tomorrow morning. I'm about 19 miles east (and 1,000 feet higher) of where 79 passes by Morgantown.

Yeah, I'd take 19 down to Beckley if I were you. They will have the roads clear by noon easily. There is school monday and they will get the interstates taken care of first, then they will tend to the bus routs later sunday night. That's the normal scheme of things with a weekend snowstorm. Today the crews just kept up and waited for the snow to stop, tomorrow they will begin the non-stop work of snow removal, until the state's money runs out.

[bbinacan]

8. Thanks for the info

and I'm sorry you had a hard time getting home. I have a Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon. While it does great in bad weather, I don't want to creep along at 40 mph for a 490 mile trip. I'll check road conditions in the morning. Once again, thanks.

[dysfunctional press]

13. there's school on monday...?

when does christmas break start?

all the schools around here are off this week and next.

[femmocrat]

9. Just saw a report on local news (Pittsburgh) that people were stranded on I-77 for up to 9 hours.

Looks like very heavy snow. Who knows if it will be cleared by morning?

PennDot has barely kept up here in western PA. Disgusting.

[bbinacan]

12. And to think PennDot

does a better job than WVDot. I'm leaving Monday.