Secretary Wriston:
Look at that cover photo more than once. Notice the decay. The rebar. The rust. The erosion. That is what state officials IN CHARLESTON allowed to take place here in the city of Wheeling, and such roadway decay should not take place along any state road in West Virginia.
No wonder we in the Northern Panhandle have a constant feeling of being forgotten by state leaders.
As you are aware, there is much concern about the secondary roadways in the Northern Panhandle, and to this day there remain more than 600 slips (some of which limit two-way roads to single lanes) in Marshall County alone. Now, Gov. Jim Justice made a couple of appearances in Moundsville, sent some extra cash to the budget of District 6, and more than 10 (but fewer than 20) slip repairs took place.
Since, nothing other than silence. No extra money. No extra effort. And no false hope that usually follows words of encouragement and empty promises.
We are not writing, though, to inform you of what you already know, but instead, this correspondence to you is to advise you about something you and your predecessors obviously know nothing about: proper maintenance planning.
Sure, we have heard about the inspection routine from Bob Whip, Danny Sikora, Gus Suwaid, and now Tony Clark and, while all four are terrific engineers and better people, their hands were tied by bureaucrats because reporting clear issues like what is visible in this letter accomplished nothing. What’s that? The state doesn’t have the money?
Bullsh!t. Find it, and this is why; we here in northern West Virginia recently have witnessed belief in the future finally materialize in Wheeling and throughout the Northern Panhandle, but it is a well-known fact one of the factors potential business owners examine is roadway conditions. And we lose in that contest consistently.
Sincerely,
Tired of Losing
