West Virginia Turnpike
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The West Virginia Turnpike is a toll road in the US state of West Virginia. It is also signed as Interstate 77 for its entire length as well as Interstate 64 from Charleston to just south of Beckley. From Beckley, the road extends south to Princeton.
Historically, the West Virginia Turnpike was a two-lane road with treacherous curves and a tunnel (which has since been decommissioned). Construction began in 1952, several years before the Eisenhower Interstate System was funded. It was only in 1986 that the entire length of the Turnpike was upgraded to Interstate standards.
The road is often referred to simply as "the Turnpike" by locals, since there are no other toll roads in the state. Due to the difficulty and lives lost in construction, it has also been called "88 miles of miracle."
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[edit] History
In the mid 20th century, in the years before creation of the U.S. Interstate Highway System in 1956, superhighways in the form of toll roads such as the Pennsylvania Turnpike and the Ohio Turnpike began stimulating economic development and enhancing transportation in the eastern United States.
[edit] "Turnpike that goes to nowhere."
Transportation has always been a vital link between the main central and southern cities of West Virginia. Originally serviced by railroads and then two-lane highways, the cities grew to the point where the roadways between these growing regions was becoming woefully inadequate. Heavier traffic loads and increasing traffic volumes made the existing roads dangerous with safety statistics to prove it. In 1949, Governor Okey L. Patteson oversaw the creation of The Turnpike Commission which was the start of the planning of what was to become the West Virginia Turnpike.[1]
Just two years prior to this, the state legislature appropriated funds to conduct a feasibility study of building a superhighway, comparable to similar projects being planned and constructed in other states. Early proposals showed a highway stretching from Parkersburg to Princeton, while another map diagrammed a route from Wheeling to Princeton. Both of these plans, however, were shelved in a 1951 study, citing the extreme costs of building a modern highway through very unforgiving terrain as the primary reason. The study recommended that the northern terminus be moved to Fairplain just outside of Ripley and that the southern terminus not be altered. It also suggested that the highway be constructed on a two-lane facility rather than a four-lane highway with provisions for future widening when funding became available.[1]
In November of 1951, the final alignment was chosen. The route was only 22 miles shorter from the original mileage between Charleston and Princeton, however, it would save motorists over two hours in travel between those two points. Original cost projections came in at $78 million.[1] According to the West Virginia Turnpike CAF Report:
- "The Commission issued $96 million of 3-3/4% revenue bonds in April 1952, and groundbreaking took place in August of that year. Due to the occurrence of large slides midway through construction that had to be corrected at additional expense, revenue bonds for an additional $37 million were sold at 4-1/8%. The year 1953 kicked off a period of intense earthmoving that at its peak reached a million cubic yards a week and totaled 30 million cubic yards."[2]
When ground broke in 1952 on the first segment of the Turnpike, the northern terminus had once again been shortened; this time it was to Charleston, and high costs were cited as the primary reason. Costs of the Turnpike was projected to be $133 million funded through bonds that were to be retired through the toll system; this included the $5 million two-lane tunnel to connect Dawes to Standard.[1]
Construction only took two years at the cost of five workers.[1] The first section of the highway, the southern 36 miles from Beckley to Princeton, opened to traffic on September 2, 1954.[3] In November, the remaining 52 miles between Charleston and Beckley opened. The new Turnpike had several nicknames, including "88 miles of miracle" and "the engineering marvel that beat the mountains."[1] Five sided Turnpike shields were installed along the highway. Six interchanges were constructed with the Turnpike utilizing a ticket-based tolling system. At each interchange, bridges or underpasses for the Turnpike mainline's had an extra set of graded lanes, indicating that the Turnpike was to be widened at a future date. According to the West Virginia Turnpike CAF Report:
- "The $1.5 million cost per mile was only one of the staggering statistics used by journalists as far away as Michigan and New York to describe their 'amazement at an engineering achievement of such heroic proportions.[2]' "
Three service areas were constructed at Morton, Bluestone and West Virginia. An at-grade intersection from the toll-road serviced these travel centers.
For the first few years, the West Virginia Turnpike was a desolate roadway. Although the northern terminus was at a large city, it connected to no other interstates or free-flowing roads. The highway lost some of its "marvel" when The Saturday Night Post referred to the superhighway as "The Turnpike that goes to nowhere."[4]
Soon after the Turnpike was completed, the Interstate Highway System was initalized. The new Turnpike, regardless that it was not up to interstate standards, cut travel time considerably through the state of West Virginia and linked the southern states to the northern states. This new link, however, invited too much traffic by the late 1960's. Increased traffic rates with a high amount of fatalities marred the toll road's image. By 1975, the total death rate was hovering at 278. In 1979 alone, the death rate was nearly 30. It became known as a death-trap, mainly because out-of-state drivers who were accustomed to driving four-lane highways with wide medians and gentle curves were faced with a two-lane undivided freeway.[1]
Popular t-shirts were sold in Myrtle Beach, a popular destination for West Virginians, that proclaimed, "I survived the West Virginia Turnpike." Although the accident rate was not high, it was still elevated in comparison to other four-lane toll roads in other states.
[edit] Modernizing the Turnpike
In the 1960's and 1970's, the growing Interstate Highway System in West Virginia brought free portions of newly-built Interstate 77 from Ohio on the north and Virginia on the south to both ends of the Turnpike. Interstate 64 was completed from the Kentucky border east to Charleston. Work on Interstate 79 extended south from Pennsylvania through Morgantown and Clarksburg to Charleston. Another portion of Interstate 64 was built from Virginia west into the southern portion of the state, but it ended at abruptly at Sam Black Church.
These connections brought more traffic to West Virginia than the 2-lane Turnpike could handle adequately. Congestion at the toll plazas was a major concern, along with the increased fatality rate.[1][5]
The gap on Interstate 64 between Sam Black Church and Charleston forced east-west traffic to use a scenic but treacherous section of U.S. Highway 60 known as the Midland Trail through Rainelle and Ansted before the road descended Gauley Mountain at Hawk's Nest to the Kanawha River Valley to reach Charleston. There were terrible accidents along this stretch and lengthy delays as trucks negotiated the major grades.[1]
[edit] Expansion
Studies were undertaken to upgrade the highway in the early 1970's. In 1974, the cost to expand the Turnpike to four-lanes was $350 million. When the project had not started by 1975, articles in local newspapers attacked the state workers for their "laziness" in pursuing the upgrade of the highway. The Turnpike officials themselves were worried, as the costs for upgrading the toll road were increasing dramatically.[5]
In 1976, construction started on the upgrade of the West Virginia Turnpike with contracts totalling well over $200 million being awarded.[3] A timeline of construction are as followed:
- 1979: First section of modernization completed in Mercer County from milepost 10.60 (just north of Exit 9, US 460) to milepost 35.52 (south of Exit 40, Interstate 64) in Raleigh County.
- 1980: A segment from milepost 46.70 to milepost 47.95 (Exit 48, To US 19) was completed just north of Beckley.
- 1981: Fayette County completed a brief segment from milepost 56.15 near Long Branch to milepost 59.63 (Exit 60, Mossy) and from milepost 62.27 near Kingston to milepost 66.51 (Exit 66, Mahan).
- 1982: The modernization of the Turnpike from milepost 52.20 just south of Willis Branch to milepost 56.12 near Lively was completed. The Kanawha River Bridge near Malden and the Kanawha City neighborhood of Charleston was dualized as well, from milepost 94.96 to 95.87).
- 1983: A segment from Fayette to Kanawha County was dualized from milepost 66.51 (Exit 66, Mahan) to milepost 74.96 (Exit 74, Standard). Traffic just to the west of this interchange utilized the two-lane Bender Bridge and Memorial Tunnel.
- 1984: The Turnpike was dualized from milepost 90 (Exit 89, WV 94, Marmet) to milepost 82.55 which included the construction of Toll Plaza "C" near Sharon.
- 1985: Work continues on a segment south of Mossy from milepost 59.63 (Exit 60, Mossy) to milepost 62.27 near Kingston. Also, a segment from the southern terminus of the Turnpike at milepost 8.97 (Exit 9, US 460) to milepost 10.60 in Mercer County was reconstructed. A Releigh County segment from milepost 40.73 (Exit 40, Interstate 64) to milepost 43.83 (Exit 44, WV 3) was dualized. The segment from milepost 47.95 (Exit 48, To US 19) to milepost 52.20 (Toll Plaza "B" at Pax) was completed.
- 1986: The Turnpike from milepost 35.52 to milepost 40.73 (Exit 40, Interstate 64) was dualized.
- 1987: Work finished on the dualization from milepost 43.83 (Exit 44, WV 3) to milepost 46.60). The last segment was completed as the Memorial Tunnel and Bender Bridge was bypassed with a massive road cut.
[edit] Bypassing Memorial Tunnel
By 1987, 87 of the 88 miles were essentially complete.[3] The only remaining segment, the Memorial Tunnel, once hailed as "state-of-the-art" and the "most majestic feature of the highway,"[1] was becoming a bottleneck in the otherwise four-lane turnpike. By 1986 alone, it cost the Turnpike Commission over $500,000 to just maintain the lights and the automatic exhaust equipment.[1]
Several options were considered: the dualization of the tunnels, the addition of two lanes through a large road cut in the mountain while the other set of lanes utilized the tunnel, and to replace the tunnel entirely with an open cut to the north. The last option to bypass the tunnel was approved, citing the high maintaince costs of a tunnel.[2]
- "The biggest relief will be from our utility crews, who had to maintain the electrical systems and so forth in the tunnel," Turnpike Commission Chairman George McIntryre said. "It will make all of our jobs easier as far as traffic is concerned on the turnpike."
The 1.72 mile bypass would bypass both the tunnel and the Bender Bridge which crossed Paint Creek just to the east of the tunnel portal. On July 6, 1987, the Memorial Tunnel officially closed with the opening of two lanes of the open cut just to the north of it. The other two lanes of the open cut were completed in late August.[6]
State Trooper W.D. Thomson became the last motorist to drive through the tunnel. It was not meant to be that way. Originally, Tommy Graley of Standard and his two daughters were picked to be in the last vehicle to pass through the tunnel, but his pickup truck was followed by a car carrying Turnpike officials and the state trooper.[6]
The new Memorial Tunnel bypass cost $35 million and required years of hard work. Ten million cubic yards of earth was moved and used as fill with drainage tiles for Paint Creek; 300,000 tons of coal was extracted. Bender Bridge was demolished. The former Memorial Tunnel was then used for storage until the mid-1990's, when it became a fire extinguishing testing center for Boston's Big Dig project.
[edit] Final Cost
The final cost for the entire modernization of the West Virginia Turnpike came at a hefty cost: $683 million, more than $300 million over original estimates.[4] It was also one of the few interstates that received 90% interstate federal funding and the ability to charge a toll due to extremely high construction costs. But what came at a great cost has eased traffic congestion, numerous accidents and fatalities, and has boosted tourism and economic development throughout the central part of the state. A total of 18 interchanges now exist on the West Virginia Turnpike, up from the original six. A rest area was provided at milepost 69 for southbound motorists, while a scenic overlook of the Bluestone River at milepost 18 for southbound motorists was provided.
The Turnpike itself is quite an engineering marvel, with numerous cuts through the mountains and lanes that are separated in height by many feet from each other. Beauty and scenic aesthetics were preserved and enhanced in the construction and the highway is highly scenic no matter which direction you are traveling. But with the completion of Interstates 77, 79, and finally 64 by 1988, the Turnpike has become stressed, mainly during peak holiday seasons because the Turnpike is at a cross roads that connects the west to the east and the north to the south.
On June 1, 1989, The West Virginia Parkways, Economic Development and Tourism Authority was created as a successor-in-interest to the West Virginia Turnpike Commission by the West Virginia Legislature. All duties, powers and functions of the Turnpike Commission were transferred to the Authority.[2]
In 1991, the Morton and Bluestone travel plazas were renovated. The once "glass house" travel centers were demolished in favor of more modern and spacious facilities. In 1993, the Beckley travel plaza was renovated. Morton and Bluestone service plazas were accessible for northbound travelers only, while the Beckley service plaza was accessible for southbound motorists only.[2]
In May of 1996, the Tamarack opened in Beckley at Interchange 45 to service the Beckley service plaza, Dry Hill Road, and the Tamarack.[7]
In 2004, a concession stand and new restroom facilities were constructed for the rest area at milepost 69 for southbound travelers.
[edit] Tamarack
The Tamarack is a beautiful tourist destination located at the Beckley service area that features a red peaked roof and landscaped grounds that draw over 500,000 visitors annually. It is a large arts and crafts outlet that features West Virginia crafted products, such as handcrafts, pottery, jewelery and fine arts, and products made from textiles, glass, metal, wood. There are live artisan demonstrations as well as live music, a theater, and storytelling performances.[7]
[edit] Free for a day
The "free ride" on the West Virginia Turnpike occurred on September 2, 1987 from 8 AM to 3 PM. Motorists who utilized the highway did not have to pay a toll. By this time, the Turnpike commission owned $70,618,000 on the 33-year-old toll road.[8]
Governor Arch A. Moore, Jr. cut the ribbon with gold colored shears at 10 AM to open officially the improved Turnpike and Interstate 77. Interstate 64 did not exist in this area and was signed temporarily on US 60 from Charleston to Sam Black Church until the last segment from the latter location to Beckley was completed. The ribbon-cutting ceremony, attended by over 1,000 people, was held at the big open cut near the Memorial Tunnel.[4]
Dr. Carl Starks, mayor of Wytheville, Virginia, said that if the Turnpike was not in place in 1954, the completion of the interstate would have taken 15 to 20 years more to complete. I know many people were unhappy that it was a two lane road but it was a vital link."[4]
U.S. Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), who attended the ceremonies, was governor at the time the Turnpike was constructed, played a major role in the construction of the highway. Another former Senator, Jennings Randolph of Elkins, authored the amendment that allowed existing two lane toll roads to be included in the interstate system and upgrading them to four lane interstate standards. "This is a happy day for me," said Randolph as he walked off of the stage.[4]
The Marriott Corporation, today's provider of services at the service areas, served a free box lunch for all. Motorists traveling the highway on September 2 received a commemorative certificate indicating that they drove the Turnpike on the day it was fully upgraded to interstate status. Persons that attended the ceremonies were also given a special commemorative mementos, including a brochure that had the history of the Turnpike titled, "From Conception to Completion."
Moore stated that he outlined plans for a $20 million project to upgrade the Turnpike's restaurant and rest stop facilities to interstate standards. He stated, "We can't afford to have the nation's safest highway with the lousiest food."[4] The service areas were demolished and rebuilt in the late 1980's.
[edit] Other Notes
[edit] First Motorist
The first motorist to utilize the completed Turnpike in 1989 was Don Williams of Bluefield. He states, "I think it is really good for West Virginia and maybe people won't badmouth the West Virginia Turnpike anymore."[9]
[edit] First Accident
The first accident occurred on November 5, 1955 at 12:05 AM at MP 55. Ray Gould dropped off of the road, soared off a cliff, and then to the streets of Milburn on Paint Creek beneath the highway after he fell asleep at the wheel of his vehicle. The accident left him with a fractured back, fractured skull, fractured face, crushed shoulders, and assorted dislocations. Because of the accident, Gould said he is still a "big fan of the highway but won't drive after dark." Thankfully, Gould did not have any lasting injuries as a result of the accident.[10]
He adds, "It's a wonderful highway. Turnpike was a fantastic feat. But people abused it and foreigners didn't understand it."
Gould was heading to Charleston to pick up an employee of C&P of training that was flying from Wheeling to Charleston. He adds, "I did not want her staying there alone. My wife and I came in our personal car to pick her up. I had to take a company car back. So I drove the company car and she and my wife followed me."
Gould said he awoke briefly during his fall.
"I woke up in midair noticing the headlights weren't shining on anything and it was extra quiet. That's all I remembered for three weeks."
On his way down the embankment, Gould said his car hit a rock. He adds that, "if I had not, I could have smashed into a house where seven children were sleeping."
He later learned that he was strapped onto a board by coal miners who saw him come crashing down into their town.
"The miners saw me trying to walk. I took a few steps and fell. The grabbed me and strapped me to a board. I attributed my survival to mine safety training."
Gould said that his wife and the employee did not see the accident. "They thought that I had gone around the next bend. She went on home thinking I had gone on."
[edit] Bond Troubles
At the time in 1989, the Turnpike Commission was still pondering how to refinance the original bond that was issued. It expired on December 1, 1989. At one point in the Turnpike's history, the Commission was not even able to pay off the interest on the debts, and it wasn't until 1982 that the Commission could retire their first bond.[2]
Total revenues from 1954 to December 31, 1986 totaled $309.3 million with interest totaled $170.7 million. In 1986, the total revenues were $30.4 million. The Commission predicted that when Interstate 64 is completed from Beckley to Sam Black Church in 1988, 6,500 more vehicles would travel the Turnpike daily. In the last 10 years, the Commission noted, traffic increased 100% and gross revenues increased from $11.4 million to $30.4 million.[8]
The refinancing plan was completed approximately six months later and the new debt was near $50 million. Under this plan, tolls remained from $3.75 to $12 for the entire one-way trip.
[edit] Future of the Turnpike
The toll rates on the West Virginia Turnpike were raised briefly by the Parkways Authority on January 1, 2006.[2] However, a state judge found the hike to be illegal and rescinded it a few days later. Public outcry forced the state legislature to revoke the recent hike and removed the commission's power to set rates. Future rate hikes will require an act of the legislature.
The increase in tolls would have generated $24 million annually. It would have been used to fund widening of the Turnpike from Interstate 64 at Beckley to the US 19 North Beckley interchange; that stretch of four-lane highway is approaching 80% capacity during peak usage times. It would have also funded an interchange at Shady Springs. $100 million bonds would have also been issued as part of the toll increase as a result of an increase in bond authority signed by former Governor Wise in 2004. The new bonds would have covered major pavement rehabilitation, as most of the concrete that were laid in the late 1970s and 1980s has experienced joint and base failure. Also, many bridges in the next 10 years will be approaching the end of their pavement lifespan and will need redecking.
In addition, the bond money would allowed the Authority to repay the debt service on newly issued bonds.
The West Virginia Turnpike receives no federal or state monies in its capital expenditure projects, and 80% of its toll revenues are used for capital improvement projects relating directly to the Turnpike itself. Greg Barr, General Manager of the West Virginia Parkways Authority, states that it will free up "state and federal monies to maintain all the other roads throughout West Virginia."[2] He also cited an example, that while other states have dramatically increased their tolls over the past few years, the West Virginia Turnpike has not experienced any rate hikes in over two decades.
While all toll classes (see chart) would have seen a toll increase, the charge for the Parkways Authority Commuter Cards (PACC), which utilize the E-ZPass system, would not have. The price for those using PACC is the same as it was when PACC was introduced in 1994. PACC provides commuters with an 85% annual discount on tolls. In addition to this, the new Shady Springs interchange would have been toll free and the toll rates at the North Beckley interchange would not be raised.
[edit] Turnpike today
From its northern terminus at Charleston, to the southern end at Princeton, the turnpike travels a total of 88 miles. At first, the Turnpike parallels the Kanawha River and is mostly level. After Exit 85 (WV 61 to US 60, Chelyan/Cedar Grove), the road takes a sharp right turn and then finds the first tollbooth. Proceeding south, the Turnpike traverses rugged terrain and features several sharp curves and grades greater than 6%, with a speed limit of 60 MPH which is vigorously enforced by a toll-paid force of state police. This stretch of the Turnpike has seen no greater accident rate than similar sections with higher speed limits, and in fact was signed at 65 MPH from 1987 to 1995 with no change in its accident rate. The midsection of the Turnpike (roughly between Exits 60 and 28) mostly runs along ridge tops and more level areas near the city of Beckley, allowing for a 70 MPH speed limit. The last segment (roughly from Exit 28 to Exit 9) has both mountainous and level sections, and retains the 70 MPH speed limit. The Turnpike officially ends at Exit 9 (US 460, Princeton/Pearisburg). I-77 continues south from this point as a freeway, and crosses into Virginia near Bluefield.
Conversely, if headed north, I-77 continues as a freeway through north-central West Virginia and exits the state near Parkersburg into Ohio.
There are three toll booths along the Turnpike, with basic (non-commercial) traffic paying $1.25 at each toll booth. Additionally, there is one exit-ramp toll booth at exit 48 (to US 19, North Beckley/Summersville), which costs $0.25 for automobiles. Rates for commercial traffic are higher. The southernmost toll booth is placed after the split with I-64, so east/west basic traffic pays only $2.50. The West Virginia Turnpike is a member of the E-ZPass electronic toll collection consortium, allowing members to bypass lines at the toll booth and pay electronically. There are service plazas along the turnpike as well as a state-funded commercial/cultural center called Tamarack. Tamarack (exit 45) sells a variety of unique goods produced by native West Virginian artisans and corporations.
Today, the Turnpike carries a huge volume of traffic, particularly from the Midwestern States en route to the South and vice-versa.
[edit] Exit guide
From North to South, the exits are as follows:
| Exit | Road | Destination | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
Route continues as westbound  and northbound  . |
|||
| 96 |  US 60Kanawha Blvd. |
Charleston | Former trumpet interchange with toll plaza. Modified after reconstruction in 1982. |
| 95 |  WV 61MacCorkle Ave. |
Charleston | An original interchange on the Turnpike. Formerly contained a toll plaza within the double trumpet. |
| 89 | WV 61 WV 94 |
Marmet Chesapeake |
Added during reconstruction in 1984. |
| 85 | US 60 WV 61 |
Chelyan Cedar Grove |
An original interchange on the Turnpike. Formerly contained a toll plaza. |
| Plaza C (Chelyan) Toll booth | |||
| 79 | CR 79/3 Cabin Creek Road |
Sharon | Added during reconstruction in 1984. |
| MP 74: Morton service plaza (northbound only) | |||
| 74 | CR 83 Paint Creek Road |
Standard | Added during reconstruction in 1983. |
| MP 69: Rest area (southbound only) | |||
| 66 | CR 15 | Mahan | Added during reconstruction in 1983. |
| 60 |  WV 612 |
Mossy Oak Hill |
An original interchange on the Turnpike. Full access during reconstruction in 1985. Previously had NB entrance, SB exit only and contained a toll booth. |
| Plaza B (Pax) Toll booth | |||
| 54 | CR 23/2 | Pax | Added during reconstruction in 1982. |
| 48 |  TO US 19Corridor L |
North Beckley Summersville |
Toll booth at ramp for WVTPK NB to US 19 NB and for US 19 SB to WVTPK SB. Added during reconstruction in 1980. |
| 45 | Beckley service plaza Tamarack. Added in the mid 1990s when the Beckley service plaza was expanded to include the Tamarack. |
||
| MP 45: Beckley service plaza | |||
| 44 |  WV 3Harper Road |
Beckley | An original interchange on the Turnpike. Expanded from a trumpet with a toll plaza to a diamond with reconstruction of the mainlines in 1985. |
| 42 |  WV 16 WV 97Robert C. Byrd Drive |
Mabscott | An original interchange on the Turnpike. It is a double trumpet. |
| 40 | Interstate 64 |
Lewisburg | The interchange was constructed with provisions for a toll plaza. The exit itself was not utilized until 1988 when the interstate was completed east towards Lewisburg. |
| Plaza A (Ghent) Toll booth | |||
| 28 | CR 48 | Ghent Flat Top |
Added during reconstruction in 1979. |
| 20 | TO US 19 |
Camp Creek | Added during reconstruction in 1979. |
| MP 18: Bluestone service plaza (northbound only) | |||
| 14 |  WV 20Athens Road |
Camp Creek | Added during reconstruction in 1979. |
| MP 9: Princeton travel center | |||
| 9 |  US 460Corridor Q |
Princeton Pearisburg |
|
| Route continues as southbound |
|||
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Monday, CHristopher R. "The West Virginia Turnpike: 88 Miles of Miracle." 2003 March 2 [1].
- ^ a b c d e f g h CAF Report. West Virginia Turnpike. 20 March 2005.
- ^ a b c Release Date Report. West Virginia Department of Transportation. August 2003.
- ^ a b c d e f Massey, Tim R. "'Toughest, meanest job' ends as governor opens turnpike." Herald-Dispatch. 3 Sept. 1987.
- ^ a b Barr, Greg. "Parkways Authority Approves Significant Long-term Turnpike Construction, Maintenance and Modernization Strategy." West Virginia Parkways Authority. 14 Dec. 2005. 20 Dec. 2005 [2].
- ^ a b "Turnpike's Memorial Tunnel closes." Herald-Dispatch. 6 July 1987.
- ^ a b The Best of West Virginia. Tamarack. 24 March 2004 [3].
- ^ a b Miller, Tom D. "It'll be four lanes all the way... and a free ride for almost a day." Herald-Dispatch. 1 Sept. 1987.
- ^ "First traffic bypasses now-closed tunnel." Charleston Gazette. 8 July 1987.
- ^ "First turnpike wreck victim still a big fan of roadway." Herald Dispatch. 3 Sept. 1987.
