WV: East Beckley Bypass

[mikeandkristie]

We were in the Beckley area over the weekend hitting parts of New River Gorge National River.  On Sunday, we drove the East Beckley Bypass when heading to lunch after visiting Grandview in the park.  We got off at I-64 Exit 124 and followed it all the way until it reaches US 19.  I did some searching and it sounds like that last section was finished last fall.  There were signs on it labeling it as US 19 Bypass, but it is currently not marked as that on the site. 

Mike

[rickmastfan67]

Would need to have shields to qualify for the site.

[mikeandkristie]

Here would be one shot we got while driving it.

[rickmastfan67]

Wow, that's new, as I was thinking by what you said, it was just street blades.

Where there more than just that one shield?

I'm just shocked since no submission to the AASHTO was done.

[mikeandkristie]

Yes, several shields like that along the route.  Several intersections where 19 Bypass was straight and To regular 19 was a left.  Didn't think to dig the camera back out until we were most of the way back to 19 around Industrial Drive.  I think the last section came behind Lowe's.  And a couple big green overhead signs as well.  Not sure how recent the placement was.

[rickmastfan67]

Yes, several shields like that along the route.  Several intersections where 19 Bypass was straight and To regular 19 was a left.  Didn't think to dig the camera back out until we were most of the way back to 19 around Industrial Drive.  I think the last section came behind Lowe's.  And a couple big green overhead signs as well.  Not sure how recent the placement was.

Where was the first shield located for the 'Southern' end?

Was it @ this intersection (#1) or this one (#2)?  Need to know this, as otherwise, I can't easily put it onto the site.  Don't want to put it's Southern end @ #2 and find out it's @ #1 or vice-versa.

[mikeandkristie]

Yes, several shields like that along the route.  Several intersections where 19 Bypass was straight and To regular 19 was a left.  Didn't think to dig the camera back out until we were most of the way back to 19 around Industrial Drive.  I think the last section came behind Lowe's.  And a couple big green overhead signs as well.  Not sure how recent the placement was.

Where was the first shield located for the 'Southern' end?

Was it @ this intersection (#1) or this one (#2)?  Need to know this, as otherwise, I can't easily put it onto the site.  Don't want to put it's Southern end @ #2 and find out it's @ #1 or vice-versa.

I'm pretty sure that it was #1.  That would have been the first intersection after going over the bridge.  And I think this overhead sign was the first updated one we saw and now says 19 Bypass straight ahead.  That was the first time we'd driven in that part of Beckley, so I'm not positive though.  The evening before, we took the exit for 19 South instead of staying straight on that connector to I-64/77 and came through town.  They have a BGS up now for that left onto Industrial Drive as 19 Bypass.  But, we stayed straight on US 19 until WV 16 through town to WV 3 out to our hotel at the interstate.  Then, after taking the interstate out to Grandview, we just did the bypass into Beckley for lunch.  I'd wanted to come back through town on regular US 19 to connect the dots, but we were behind schedule and cut through town to Tamarack and then out WV 16 to bow out and get Wyoming County.  So, I didn't get to look if there were matching maps out to the bypass from the regular route or connect with our existing section of US 19 heading south from WV 3.  Also, screwed up on trying to get that short section of the Coalfields Expressway by being in the wrong lane.  There's a decent chance we'll be back up in that area for a family thing next month.  So, we may be able to check more closely unless someone else beats us to it.

[rickmastfan67]

Hmmm, alright.  When I get the free time, I'll craft the route file with it starting @ #1.  Already have points in US-19 & WV-41 for the intersections with the Bypass, just would need to rename them in each file.

[mikeandkristie]

Currently on another trip into West Virginia and passed through Beckley.  Coming up I-77 North, we took I-64 East and then the first exit which is 124 for US 19.  After going over the bridge, the first stoplight has a left labeled as US 19 South.  Then, the second light is a left to US 19 North.  I believe that second left is Jersey Ave.  I paid more attention this time so I could say exactly where the sign was.  Anyways, the BGS for the turn at the second light is where I first saw US 19 Bypass.  It is on the right hand overhead sign saying US 19 Bypass straight ahead.  I'm looking at the GSV now and it would have replaced the To 41 North sign on the right. 

This time, we turned left at the second light for US 19 North and then took through town out to US 19 North or back to I-64/I-77.  Narrowed the gap to between that point and WV 3 where we went south before.  Previously, we were coming US 19 South and then took WV 16 through town to WV 3 to our hotel by the interstate.  Got at least one more pass through Beckley to cover all of the paths.  It was about 11:30 PM and we were heading to Summersville, so no time for going around in circles to finish up everything this time.  We also saw a US 19 Bypass sign once we got up to where it joined back in at Industrial Drive.

Mike

[vdeane]

I suppose one last question is where is the south signage for Bypass US 19 on US 19, given that there are two crossovers to US 19 north of I-64 and it would be understandable if the bypass signage didn't make it to an overhead for the southern one even if that's where it went (though it would be understandable if it really does use the northern one - that one has more queue space).

[rickmastfan67]

I suppose one last question is where is the south signage for Bypass US 19 on US 19, given that there are two crossovers to US 19 north of I-64 and it would be understandable if the bypass signage didn't make it to an overhead for the southern one even if that's where it went (though it would be understandable if it really does use the northern one - that one has more queue space).

Agreed.  I honestly want to put it @ the Southern one,  however, this 'Bypass' route might not even officially reconnect @ the Southern end to US-19.

The reason I'm saying this is based on the following PDF I just looked @ on WVDOH's website.  While the 'road data' is from December '18 (but the file was last updated in April '19), it clearly shows that the 'southern' connector road is officially US-19 Conn, while the 'northern' connector road is CR-19/9.  Meaning, where the 'red' lines meet (WVDOH has all 'US' routes on their maps as red lines), is where the 'official' end of Bypass US-19.

Unless somebody can get me some photographing proof that the 'Bypass' route is signed on the southern connector road, this is where I'll have to end it @ for the time being.  Stupid if you ask me, but this would be the 'best' solution that I have without photographic proof otherwise.

[Markkos1992]

A quick note on this:  The WV 41 point here needs to be slightly recentered whether this is put in the HB or not.

[Markkos1992]

I looked at GSV this morning and found this at the north end looking from US 19.

I guess that this is enough to put it in the HB.  No new GSV imagery at the south end.

[rickmastfan67]

Nice to see some newer StreetView imagery in that area finally showing some shields for it.  Sad the Southern end didn't get any new imagery yet.

[vdeane]

I looked at GSV this morning and found this at the north end looking from US 19.

I guess that this is enough to put it in the HB.  No new GSV imagery at the south end.

As I recall, the reason it's not in the HB isn't due to the prior lack of street view showing a shield, but because we still haven't definitively determined WHERE the south end of Bypass US 19 even is.