West Virginia Department of Transportation
11/15/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 11/15/2024 09:30
RHL Boulevard reopens in time for busy holiday shopping season
Contractors have reopened the RHL Boulevard connector from Jefferson Road following work on the next phase of the Jefferson Road widening project.
The road, which includes a 420-foot bridge, connects Jefferson Road with the Trace Fork Shopping Center in South Charleston. The connector reopened on schedule, as not to interfere with the busy holiday shopping season.
A traffic signal has been placed at the intersection which allows traffic to make left turns onto RHL Boulevard from Jefferson Road and to make left turns onto Jefferson Road from RHL Boulevard. Traffic signage has been installed on the road to alert drivers of signals ahead.
The RHL connector is part of a tri-tiered effort by the West Virginia Division of Highways (WVDOH) to alleviate traffic congestion on Corridor G and Jefferson Road in Charleston and South Charleston that also includes widening Jefferson Road and speeding up traffic through the Oakwood Road interchange of Corridor G. The RHL connector provides an alternate entrance and exit from Trace Fork, allowing drivers access to the shopping center from either Corridor G or Jefferson Road.
Triton Construction Inc. was awarded the construction contract for $10,942,950 In October 2021.
The construction of two Restricted Crossing U-Turns (R-CUTs) at the Oakwood Road intersection on Corridor G, completed in September 2021, significantly reduced congestion in the mornings and afternoons. Oakwood Road provides access to several schools, which used to cause traffic backups during those hours and during the holiday shopping season.
The third major project is widening Jefferson Road to five lanes between US 60 in South Charleston and Corridor G. The project also replaces a bad dogleg intersection at Jefferson Road and the Kanawha Turnpike with a new bridge and roundabout.
Kokosing Construction Company was awarded a contract for $46.8 million to design and build the project in April 2019. The widening project is expected to be complete in the spring of 2025.