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Tuesday February 28, 2023 – North East Edition.
The newly constructed travel plazas offer expanded food concepts, a 24/7 Mountain State Market convenience store, outdoor dining options, extensive tractor-trailer and commuter parking, electric vehicle charging stations, separate passenger vehicle and tractor trailer fueling options. Picnic areas and pet shelters. (Courtesy of West Virginia Department of Transportation)
West Virginia Parkways Authority On Feb. 23, the state approved a contract to demolish and redevelop the Beckley and Bluestone travel plazas, a project first unveiled by Gov. Jim Justice last November.
Paramount Builders LLC, of St. Albans, W.Va., was awarded the contract for $122.8 million.
“On behalf of the West Virginia Parkways Authority, I am pleased that our board has approved the award of the demolition and construction contract to Paramount Builders,” said Jeff Miller, executive director of the state agency. “This officially sets in motion the plan to bring world-class facilities to Southwest Virginia to showcase our beautiful state to the millions of travelers who cross the West Virginia Turnpike each year.
According to the West Virginia Department of Transportation (WV DOT), both interchanges will be closed Feb. 1 and each will be rebuilt from the ground up to begin a major renovation project.
The Morton Travel Plaza near Barnwell, W.Va., will remain open until renovations to that facility begin in 2025.
The Parkways Authority plans to finalize and sign the contract soon, and the developer is expected to be ready to demolish the buildings within the next month.
“Being able to partner with a West Virginia construction company that has delivered so many quality projects around the state really adds to the overall partnership we’ve formed in working to make this project a reality,” Miller explained. “We look forward to opening these facilities to the public in the fourth quarter of 2024.”
The newly constructed travel plazas offer expanded food concepts, a 24/7 Mountain State Market convenience store, outdoor dining options, extensive tractor-trailer and commuter parking, electric vehicle charging stations, separate passenger vehicle and tractor trailer fueling options. Picnic areas and pet shelters.
The Beckley Travel Plaza will feature a drive-thru, added restrooms and a bus stop, and improved Parkways Authority tourist information centers.
The survey will help plan improvements to travel plazas
Last May, the Parkways Authority approved spending $152 million spread over three fiscal years to improve the Turnpike’s interchanges, according to the WV DOT. Plans are based on the results of a 2021 survey of Turnpike travelers. The results of the survey of more than 3,400 respondents helped the Parkways Authority understand that Turnpike travel plazas are more than just a quick break for the millions of visitors who regularly stop at one of the facilities. For some guests, taking a drive-thru vacation is part of a family tradition, especially for those who remember the “Glass House” designs of the 1950s.
For others, it’s an opportunity to learn more about the state and purchase West Virginia-made crafts and products at tourist information centers. In addition, truck drivers look to toll plazas for safe and secure parking.
The study also found WV DOT found that the Parkways Authority’s existing facilities fell short of visitor expectations.
Recreational travelers captivated by West Virginia’s incredible natural wonders are looking for new amenities that embrace the state’s “wild and wonderful” landscape and always create a sense of connection with nature. Commuters and road warriors on the Turnpike, in turn, long for comfortable, quiet seating areas for driving and work and recreation. More than 50 percent of commercial drivers felt that the travel facilities suffered from a severe or severe shortage of truck parking.
Finally, all respondents to the survey wished for improved toilets.
“Each year, 3.3 million people, double the population of West Virginia, visit our Turnpike travel hubs,” Gov. Judge said last fall. “Now we will have great facilities that showcase all that West Virginia has to offer because we want all 3.3 million people to leave with a positive image of our great state.”
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