Fact Sheet Huntington Metro Study Area Ohio River Outer belt Bridge Crossing Feasibility Study STUDY DESCRIPTION COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT The KYOVA Interstate Planning Commission (KYOVA) is Community participation is an important component of this conducting the Ohio River Bridge Feasibility Study to study. The study team encourages input from the public on: evaluate the need for a new crossing over the Ohio River ° Study goals and objectives between West Virginia and Ohio. ° Needs within the study area relating to traffic operations, alternative travel modes, safety, and STUDY SPONSORS economic development KYOVA, Lawrence County, OH, Cabell County, WV, and Two public meetings are scheduled for the Study: Village of Barboursville, WV are the Study Sponsors. ° Informational Public Meeting on 11/ 20/ 2019 STUDY PURPOSE ° Corridor Public Meeting in Spring of 2020. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the need and CURRENT FINDINGS location for a crossing between Ohio SR 7 and WV SR 193 The study team has identified three (3) potential northeast of the Huntington metropolitan area. It is corridors and conducted preliminary evaluations in anticipated that a new crossing would serve as a vital terms of their ability to meet future traffic needs, component to enhancing local and regional mobility in the enhance regional connectivity, support future Ohio, West Virginia, and Kentucky Tri-state region. economic development, and create opportunities for A new Ohio River Crossing, combined with completion of pedestrian use while minimizing impacts to the the relocated SR-7 (Phase-II) by the Ohio Department of community and environmental resources. Transportation (ODOT), would: PRELIMINARY CORRIDORS Corridor 1: ° Improve cross-river mobility in the Huntington metropolitan area WV 2 (Ohio River Road)/WV 193 (Big Ben Highway) This corridor would provide the most direct ° Strengthen the transportation network in the Tri- state region connection between WV 193 and Ohio SR-7. The existing WV-2/WV-193 intersection will be upgraded ° Support the completion of the Huntington Outer belt linking Ohio, West Virginia, and key segments to a diamond interchange with an overpass bridge to of Interstate 64 (I-64). accommodate 4 travel lanes. Ohio Route 7 will also be upgraded to 4 lanes. STUDY GOALS Corridor 2: ° Assess existing and future traffic safety and WV 2 (Ohio River Road)/CR 11 (Big Seven Mile Road) operations Corridor 2 is located at the WV-2/CR-11 intersection ° Identify opportunities to develop safe and efficient and along Cox Landing Road, extends over the Ohio multi-modal transportation options, including River, and then intersects with Ohio State Route 7 in bicycle and pedestrian Lawrence County, Ohio. The existing WV-2/CR-11 ° Review existing and proposed future land uses intersection will be upgraded to accommodate four ° Assess traffic circulation and barriers to mobility travel lanes. Ohio State Route 7 will also be upgraded within the study area to four lanes. ° Assess regional economic impacts Corridor 3: STUDY ACTIVITY STATUS WV 2 (Ohio River Road)/CR 7 (Nine Mile Road) The study team has collected engineering, traffic and Corridor 3 is located approximately 0.3 miles south of environmental data and conducted preliminary corridor WV CR 7 (Nine Mile Road) along Douthat Lane and analysis to determine the purpose and need of the project. extends over the Ohio River, intersecting OH Route 7 The team has also formed a Stakeholder Committee near Private Road 1286. This corridor features comprised of regional public officials. flyover ramps for northbound traffic on OH Route 7 due to available width restrictions adjacent to the Ohio River. https://www.Ohioriverbridgecrossing.com Fact Sheet Study Area Huntington Metro Ohio River Outer belt Bridge Crossing Feasibility Study UPCOMING ACTIVITIES Following the Public Meeting in November 2019, the team will consider all comments received from project stakeholders and the public to formulate a recommended corridor. The recommendation will be presented at a second Public Meeting in Spring of 2020. Following feedback from this meeting, recommendations will be documented in a Corridors Report which will consider all comments received throughout the study process. The Draft Corridors Report will be completed in Spring of 2020 followed by the Final Report scheduled for June 30, 2020. KYOVA, along with the project sponsors, will review the Final Corridor Report from a regional transportation needs and financial perspective to determine if the project should be carried forward into the NEPA Phase. Below is a summary of project's major milestones. SCHEDULE ° Project Kick-off Meeting: April 09, 2019 ° Stakeholders Kick-off Meeting : August 15, 2019 ° Stakeholders Meeting : November 20, 2019 ° Informational Public Meeting : November 20, 2019 ° Draft Corridors Report: March 2020 ° Stakeholders Meeting: May 2020 ° Corridor Public Meeting: May 2020 ° Final Report/Study Completion: June 30, 2020 NEXT PHASE Should the recommendations from the Ohio River Bridge Crossing Feasibility Study advance, detailed public involvement, environmental studies, roadway alignments and bridge designs would occur. The advanced phase would complete National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) documentation and detailed design plans. CONTACTSaleem A. Salameh, PhD., P.E. Manuch Amir, P.E. Deputy Executive Director / Project Manager Technical Study Director CDM Smith Inc. KYOVA 500 Lee Street, East 400 Third Avenue Charleston, WV 25301 Huntington, WV 25712-0939 Telephone: 304.345.2339 Telephone: 304.523.7434 [email protected] [email protected] PAGE 2 https://www.Ohioriverbridgecrossing.com .