Elkins, West Virginia – The Corridor H Highway Authority today issued a statement regarding a lawsuit that was filed in federal court on April 30, 2026, seeking to halt construction on one of the highway’s final segments.
“It’s a shame that two groups—one of which isn’t even from West Virginia and the other is based nowhere near Hardy County —are challenging the thorough analysis and decision-making that the WV Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration put into routing the nearly 7-mile Wardensville to the VA Line segment,” said Robbie Morris, the Authority’s Chairman. “Corridor H has been under construction for almost 60 years, and the finish line is finally in sight,” remarked Morris. “It’s time to finish the job!”
Mallie Combs, the Authority’s Vice-Chairman, agreed. Combs noted that, “Corridor H’s routes have been studied and debated to death. The Authority has reviewed them and is satisfied that state and federal engineers have selected the safest, shortest, and most environmentally sound routes.” Combs hopes the lawsuit will be dismissed in short order, as it is “stalling the highway’s inevitable completion and increasing costs.”
Approximately 112 miles of Corridor H is now open to traffic, which leaves approximately 17 miles (including the 7-mile Wardensville to the VA Line segment) to be constructed for West Virginia to have a four-lane highway stretching from I-79 in Weston (Lewis County) to the Virginia State Line (Hardy County).
“I think the United States District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia will see pretty quickly the thoughtful engineering work that has been put into routing Corridor H,” said Chairman Morris. “The WV Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration should have no trouble defending their decisions,” added Morris.
The Corridor H Highway Authority was established by the West Virginia Legislature in 1997 to promote and advance the highway’s completion, with the aim of enhancing the economy and communities along the highway. The Authority is comprised of representatives appointed by the county commissions in each of the seven counties that embrace segments of the highway.
