HUNTINGTON, WV (WOWK) — A road in downtown Huntington will be part of an ambitious construction project to make the roads safer for motorists, pedestrians and bicyclists.
The $10 million project to re-vamp Hal Greer Boulevard is spearheaded by the Corridor Management Plan in charge of this project’s management has members from local authorities such as the City of Huntington, Fairfield residents, the KYOVA Interstate Planning Commission, Marshall University, Cabell Huntington Hospital and the West Virginia Division of Highways.
Project Management says several guiding principles used in the creation of the corridor management plan, including the safety of all users, prioritized consideration for pedestrians and bicyclists, addressing stormwater issues; and supporting quality development and redevelopment.
The improvements for Hal Greer corridor include:
- Widening the sidewalks on the east side, protected midblock crossings with rectangular rapid flashing beacons, high-visibility crosswalks, pedestrian countdown signals at intersections and planted medians to address stormwater issues and control turning movements.
- Installing new pedestrian lighting along Hal Greer from Washington Boulevard to 3rd Avenue.
- Realigning Charleston and 10th avenues on either side of the former Northcott Court to straighten out the intersections and eliminate redundant stoplights.
- The remaining stop lights will be reconfigured to allow a more efficient pathway for automobiles traveling along Hal Greer.
- Major safety improvements near Cabell Huntington Hospital including the construction of a Danish crossing at the intersection of Columbia and 13th avenues, which will give pedestrians a safe refuge while crossing Hal Greer. The entrance to Cabell Huntington Hospital and Medical Center Drive will be redesigned and will include aligned crosswalks and upgraded signals for pedestrians crossing Hal Greer.
- Reconfiguring of the roadway near Marshall’s campus between 3rd and 7th Avenues to add a two-way cycle track, which will be protected from traffic by additional parallel parking.
Huntington is becoming known as the gateway for the Appalachian region. If that is the case, the front door is Hal Greer Boulevard. And we absolutely need to make some adjustments to design to make it suitable for pedestrians, for bicyclists, and certainly for the vehicles coming in and out.
Mayor Steve Williams, City of Huntington
Officials say the project is set to begin in the summer of 2021 and will run between Washington Boulevard to the south and Marshall University’s campus to the north. They expect the project to continue until the Fall of 2022.
