The West Virginia Division of Highways (WVDOH) has awarded an $85.43m construction contract to Triton Construction to extend Corridor H from Wardensville to the Virginia state line.
The decision comes in the wake of ongoing legal opposition from environmental groups, who argue that the highway’s final segment could have detrimental effects on the Wardensville area.
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The lawsuit, filed in April by Stewards of the Potomac Highlands and the Virginia Wilderness Committee in the US District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia, targets a 6.8-mile stretch of Corridor H in Hardy County.
Despite the legal proceedings, WVDOH proceeded with the project’s next phase by awarding the contract following a special bid letting held on 16 June 2026.
Triton Construction will manage the design and build of a 3.74-mile section extending from the Trout Run Cutoff Road to Waites Run Road.
The contract includes earthworks, drainage infrastructure, construction of twin bridges at Trout Run and paving of the initial 1.5 miles.
This section forms part of the first among four planned construction packages intended to complete the route from Wardensville to the state border.
At present, Corridor H has around 112 miles open to traffic and requires just under 20 additional miles to reach completion.
The segment covered by the current contract is scheduled to open by late 2032, while the entire corridor may be finished by late 2034.
Federal resources have also been allocated to support ongoing works. On 1 July 2023, US Senator Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., announced that the US Department of Transportation had granted $23m through the Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) programme for the Corridor H extension.
WVDOH leadership highlighted the significance of advancing the project following years of disputes over the route’s impact.
State Transportation Secretary Todd Rumbaugh said: “Awarding the initial construction project for the Wardensville to Virginia state line section of Corridor H is a major milestone. Thanks to the steady dedication of our WVDOH staff, we are moving past the years of debate and taking a massive step closer to completion.
“Corridor H will be a safe, modern lifeline for our state. We are fully committed to balancing environmental responsibility with public safety, proving that we can protect our beautiful state while still building the infrastructure our citizens deserve.”
Further development of Corridor H continues in other areas, including an 11-mile portion from Kerens to Parsons that was opened to traffic at a ceremony on 22 June 2026.
