KINGWOOD — The Preston County Commission has declared a countywide state of emergency because of “deplorable” road conditions that exist all over the county.
The proclamation was made at 10 a.m. April 19.
“Enough is enough,” Preston County Commission President Craig Jennings said in a release.
“The road conditions in Preston County have gotten so bad that they pose a danger for motorists, commercial traffic and first responders,” Jennings said.
The problems go beyond available local resources, he said.
“Just a patch job won’t fix our problems. The roads here need immediate attention,” Jennings said. “It isn’t our local guys. They are working hard with what is handed them by the state. Our local crews can’t even put up a sign in the right-of-way to alert folks of what’s ahead without getting permission from District 4.”
“We are in a true emergency here,” Jennings said. County commissioners, “believe under the circumstances that our only option to get the help needed from the state is by declaring that Preston County is in a state of emergency.”
The declaration, “will stand until these roads are fixed,” Jennings said. “We are not backing down.
Under the declaration the county is asking the state to address these primary roads with black top, ditching and by removing the canopy above the roads:
- W.Va. 92 north from U.S. 50 to Newburg.
- U.S. 50 from Laurel Mountain to the intersection of W.Va. 72.
- W.Va. 72 from Rowlesburg to the bottom of Caddell Mountain toward Kingwood.
- W.Va. 26 South from the intersection with W.Va. 7 in Kingwood to Howesville.
- W.Va. 7 through Terra Alta.
- W.Va. 26 north from Bruceton Mills to the Pennsylvania line.
