Bottom line on W.Va. 7 intersection is something has to change

None of our editorials about the Division of Highways (DOH) are ever personal.
But the fact is the public takes potholes, roadwork, congestion and poorly designed intersections personally.
Of course, few of us are engineers and workers who are responsible for ensuring the flow of traffic — not to mention maintaining and repairing thousands of miles of highways and country roads.
So when we the public and the DOH do get up close and personal, what emerges is often something of a revelation.
Last week, at a public meeting in Morgantown more than 40 people turned out for a presentation by the DOH. The subject was a planned change — not a proposal — to reconfigure the intersection of W.Va. 7 and Monongalia County Route 857.
Plans for this project did not require a public meeting, but DOH’s District 4 officials still wanted to hear from the public. Funny thing is this plan was also news to District 4 officials, having only learned about it in early April. Not to mention, they have their concerns about this plan, too.
It’s apparent that this area of Morgantown is facing an either-or-choice: Let this project proceed or raise a stink about it.
In line with DOH District 4 officials’ advice, we choose a smarter third option.
One is to de-escalate any tension between DOH consultants in Charleston and the public over this intersection. And at the very same time acknowledge the current intersection does not work and contributes to congestion in this area.
In other words, something has to change at this intersection, and it’s doubtful even the best option will satisfy everyone.
What that best option is we are unsure ourselves, but closing off the connector from Sabraton Avenue to W.Va. 7 is not it.
It’s obvious too that this area of Morgantown has outgrown its infrastructure and any solution needs to take that into account.
Clearly, there also needs to be better communication between the DOH in Charleston and its district offices.
The decision to reconfigure this intersection may not bet a public one. Still, the DOH should hear the public out about its concerns and attempt to address some of them.
We applaud the DOH’s District 4 engineer for making every effort to help do just that.
Meanwhile, most of the public needs to get on the same page and coalesce behind the best-case option. We’re at a crossroads, not a dead-end.
But we cannot just sit here and idle while the world moves on.