Wetzel Residents to Discuss Concerns Over W.Va. 89 Traffic

By ART LIMANN

Staff Writer, Wheeling Intelligencer, April 1, 2008, Page 9

WILEYVILLE - A group of Wetzel County citizens organized to express concern about safety issues along W.Va. 89 and secondary roads carrying an increasingly large number of heavy and oversized trucks will now address issues surrounding oil and gas drilling in the region.

The Wetzel County Action Group will hold a public meeting at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Wileyville Auction House on W.Va. 7 to address the issue of oil and gas drilling in the Silver Hill area. Local legislators, West Virginia Division of Highways officials, local authorities, representatives of gas and oil companies and a representative of Gov. Joe Manchin's office have been invited to attend.

The organization was able to get 400 individuals who travel W.Va. 89, Doolin Run Road and others to sign a petition in October seeking to reconstruct the roads "to safely handle the increase the heavy truck traffic due to gas and oil well drilling."

The petition states, "These roads have deteriorated to the point that they pose a public safety hazard. The excess weight, lack of escort vehicles for oversized trucks and rate of speed at which they travel endangers not only the public traveling these roads but also our school children. our emergency personnel etc."

Members said the action was necessary due to a number of serious crashes and the high volume of heavy truck traffic, which has caused the roads to crumble. Other issues include trucks driving in the center of the road, sideswiping other vehicles or forcing them off the road and blind, sharp turns. Only a few bridges can be used, they said.

Between 40 and 50 people are active in the group. Safety is their major concern. And according to member Raymond Renaud, the roads were only designed for light truck and car traffic.

Because of the oil and gas drilling being done in the area, there are now vehicles on the road that are heavier than they were designed to carry, he said.

"We're not trying to stop progress," Renaud said.

The truck companies are obtaining permits to drive the roads, which makes it legal for the companies to utilize them. The Wetzel County Sheriff’s Department, however, has stopped trucks from running these roads when weather conditions were bad.

Group members contend if the government is going to permit the heavy trucks it must provide the road to accommodate them. After the issues were discussed at previous meetings, group members claim some things are getting better. Drilling companies have made efforts to fill potholes and repair damaged road edges, but the group maintains more needs to be done.

The group claims between 70 and 100 wells are expected to be drilled in northeastern Wetzel County over the next six to 10 years. State and county funds are currently not available to address the continuing damage. Members said they hope the state Legislature will address the problem as soon as possible.