It's State Street!

It's been a short while since I talked about the major renovations happening in Fairmont. It's exciting...a waterpark and a road to Downtown. And Applebees opened. But I will focus in today on the I-79/Downtown Fairmont connector (or lack thereof).

The connector project has shockingly run short on funds. However they did find enough money to change my exit from Downtown to East Park Avenue and put up huge sign holders all along the construction area. The signs may be a bit premature considering there isn't a road leading from the nearly complete ramps to actual, you know, downtown. No fear though...the DOH is considering just connecting to the current State Street until the road can come up with the funds to be completed.

I don't know if you have traveled down State Street in its current condition or not but I have and, let me tell you, it's not a smooth ride. There are holes EVERYWHERE. Some will literally eat the tire off your car. There are portions of State Street where you seriously have to cross into the other lane of traffic to avoid total destruction of your vehicle. And they are seriously contemplating opening this up to interstate traffic?

To make matters worse, there is a huge water leak between the Dairy Mart on State Street and the lot that was formerly known as State Street School. It has been there for months and months and yet no one seems to want to do anything about it. Don't be surprised if there is another water shortage in February brought on solely by this massive State Street water leak.

Long story short, State Street is going to need major repairs to open the connector using the current two-lane road. So, does it make sense to really dump sorely needed funds into repairing a road they don't want or to push ahead and take that money and begin actual construction of the four-lane highway of the future? I would start the widening project now and get that road fixed instead of repaired and then go back to the working on the ramps later. But, hey, what do I know...I just live here. I'm sure Mr. Mollohan has a good plan...