Route Description
I-70 enters West Virginia from Ohio by crossing the western channel of the Ohio River onto Wheeling Island. The freeway passes above a light commercial zone as U.S. Route 40 (US 40) and US 250 become concurrent with I-70 as it travels east toward the Fort Henry Bridge. The bridge crosses the main channel of the river and the main branch of the Greater Wheeling Trail, a rail trail that parallels the eastern banks of the river. Elevated above the city, a complex interchange provides access to downtown Wheeling and Benwood. Traveling eastbound US 40 departs the freeway at this interchange and becomes concurrent with West Virginia Route 2 (WV 2) northbound. The intersected highways travel through downtown Wheeling on a one-way pair, with the southbound lanes passing under the freeway and the northbound lanes passing over the freeway. After the interchange, I-70 enters the approximately 1⁄4-mile (400 m) long Wheeling Tunnel which passes through Wheeling Hill. Immediately east of the tunnel, a trumpet interchange provides access to US 250 and WV 2 southbound near some homes north of the highway. Traveling east, US 250 leaves I-70 at this interchange, which is the first non-elevated portion of the freeway.
As I-70 curves to the south, it intersects US 40 and WV 88. The ramps from the eastbound lanes crossing underneath I-70, parallel to Wheeling Creek. The interchange just west of the Wheeling Tunnel and this interchange are complicated due to the fact that both are abutted by hills. Wheeling Jesuit University's southeastern border is formed by the freeway as I-70 approaches the neighborhood of Elm Grove. Washington Avenue provides access to the college as the highway continues south before meeting the eastern terminus of I-470, which is a bypass of Wheeling. Between the trumpet interchange and I-470, I-70 is paralleled by the eastern branch of the Greater Wheeling Trail. A final interchange within Wheeling city limits provides access to US 40 and WV 88. Leaving the city, the highway turns further east and enters a deep valley. The highway climbs over Two-Mile Hill, and intersects Cabela Drive (County Route 65), which provides access to The Highlands, a large shopping destination. Past The Highlands, I-70 continues northeast though woodlands to an interchange with the Dallas Pike (County Route 41) before crossing the state line into Washington County southwest of West Alexander, Pennsylvania.
Out of the ten states I-70 passes through, the 14.45-mile (23.26 km) long segment in West Virginia is the shortest. By comparison, the longest stretch of I-70 through a single state is the 451.04-mile (725.88 km) long segment in Colorado. Every year, the West Virginia Department of Transportation (WVDOT) conducts a series of surveys on its highways in the state to measure traffic volume. This is expressed in terms of average annual daily traffic (AADT), which is a measure of traffic volume for any average day of the year. In 2009, WVDOT calculated that as few as 32,500 vehicles traveled along the highway at the Pennsylvania state line, and as many as 60,070 vehicles used the Fort Henry Bridge over the Ohio River. As part of the Interstate Highway System, the entire route is listed on the National Highway System, a system of roads that are important to the nation's economy, defense, and mobility.
Read more about this topic: Interstate 70 In West Virginia
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