(Publisher’s Note: It is a day like today – “Black Friday” – that provokes hope the second interchange at The Highlands will be constructed soon because of the traffic delays involved with a “one-way-in-one-way-out” situation. Although the path for the roadway was cleared more than a year ago, no progress has been reported by members of the Ohio County Commission and a construction timetable remains unknown at this time.)
Anyone who shopped at The Highlands during November and December is well aware the development has outgrown the development’s one-way-in-one-way-out access routes off Interstate 70, and that is why Ohio County Sheriff Tom Howard is hopeful the construction of a second interchange will begin in 2021.
The infrastructure proposal was introduced by the Ohio County Commission seven years ago, and a partnership between the county and the state Division of Highways was formed once a new tax increment financing district was approved by the West Virginia Legislature in the rear of The Highlands, where Menards now operates. The 200,000 square-foot retail store opened in mid-October, and now employs more than 300 local residents.
“Right now, I have no dates for the project to start or when it may be completed, but I was encouraged when I saw the commissioners had the woods cut to make way for it during the summer,” Howard said. “There is a lot of red tape that goes with it because the federal government does have to approve what the commission and the DOH want to do to make it a reality.
“I do believe it is going to be the main focus of the Ohio County Development Authority this year, so that allows me to believe we will see more movement with it in 2021,” he said. “I would love to see some of the work take place while we already have all of these orange barrels along Interstate 70. It’s down to one lane in that area already, so maybe they could get the bridges and the ramps done while people are going much slower than normal.”
All Pros, No Cons
The exit for The Highlands from I-70 eastbound has proved notorious for accidents because of excessive speed, weather and river error, and because consumers have to make their way around tractor trailers traveling in the middle of three lanes to access the exit ramp for the retail development.
As far as the westbound traffic is concerned, the area where most accidents take place is near the bottom of Two-Mile Hill because of the grade descent and the sweeping right turn required to reach flat land before Elm Grove. The second interchange, Howard believes, will eliminate a decent percent of the problem.
“When it is completed, it will be huge for the traffic patterns in both directions along Interstate 70 in that area,” the sheriff said. “It will provide an alternative route when we have an accident on Two-Mile Hill because we all know how often that takes place. But that second interchange will still allow people to get to The Highlands without sitting in all that traffic.
“We have seen some accidents back up traffic all the way to the merging with Interstate 470 in Elm Grove,” Howard said. “Plus, the second interchange will take a lot of traffic off Two-Mile Hill, and that’s going to make a difference. Right now we have so many trucks that are making deliveries to those businesses, and that’s an everyday thing, so a second way in and out will make the area much safer for motorists.”
That’s not to mention the tractor trailers that travel through The Highlands to make deliveries, and Howard estimated that flow to include as many as 50 to 100 per day. Plus, additional development is expected now that Menards anchors what is considered the rear of the ongoing project.
“Another way in and out is going to be a very good thing with all of the development that’s been taking place at The Highlands, and the second interchange is expected to attract even more new businesses to the development,” Howard explained. “When The Highlands first started, one way in and out was fine because there wasn’t a lot up there, but that has definitely changed. There’s a lot of traffic up there every day of the week, but the Christmas shopping season was pretty bad.
“There is more development that is coming to the area, so it definitely will make it safer for everyone, and that includes our deputies and even citizens who are not at The Highlands but need assistance from our department for whatever reason,” he said. “If it’s December and someone off the hill needs a deputy who is at the The Highlands at the time of the 911 call, it’s going to take him some time to get out of there. With the second interchange, it will make it far easier.”
Location, Location, Location
The presence of the Ohio County Sheriff’s Office at The Highlands is a constant, and now the county operates its emergency medical service unit from the development.
And, while the sheriff’s office presently is located at 51 16th Street in downtown Wheeling, conversations have taken place about a possible new headquarters at The Highlands. Whether or not such a move is considered in the future remains to be seen because of changes that have been made by Ohio County voters and internally by the member of the county commission.
Not only did 24-year incumbent Tim McCormick lose to newcomer Zach Abraham, but former county administrator Greg Stewart is now employed by the OCDA as the general manager of The Highlands.
“It is always possible that the department could move up there, but that is a decision that is up to the members of the Ohio County Commission.” Howard said. “We could have the main office up there or maybe a better sub-station at The Highlands compared to what we have now. We have talked about the possibility in the past, but that isn’t a decision that’s up to me.
“We have a new commissioner now, and we’re going to have a new county administrator coming in, so, in a way, we are starting from the beginning again, and that’s OK,” the sheriff added. “But a second way in and out would allow our guys to have better access to Interstate 70 than we have right now. The Highlands is the county’s epicenter, and anyone who says it’s not, can go ahead and disagree. But it is the main hub for business in Ohio County right now.”
