West Virginia Department of Transportation
Encyclopedia
The West Virginia Department of Transportation is the state agency responsible for transportation in West Virginia
. The Department of Transportation serves an umbrella organization for seven subsidiary agencies which are directly responsible for different areas of the state's infrastructure.
, it operates a network of 23 regional offices throughout West Virginia.
, a 88 miles (141.6 km) tolled stretch of Interstate 77
from Charleston
to Princeton
. It is also involved in the planned operation of a toll U.S. Route 35 in Mason and Putnam counties and the Mon-Fayette Expressway.
The Parkways Authority previously was named the Parkways, Economic Development, and Tourism Authority. It participated in economic development programs, an activity that was curtailed under former governor Joe Manchin
. It continues to operate Tamarack, Best of West Virginia
, an arts and crafts center near Beckley
, pending its transfer to the West Virginia Department of Commerce
.
, a former 52 miles (83.7 km) Baltimore & Ohio Railroad line between Green Spring
and Petersburg
.
The Authority also owns the West Virginia Central Railroad, consisting of 132 miles (212.4 km) near Elkins
. The West Virginia Central is operated by a private company, the Durbin and Greenbrier Valley Railroad
.
Other State Rail Authority duties include promoting tourist and short-line railroads, operating three MARC
train stations in the Eastern Panhandle
, and helping to preserve or railbank lines targeted for abandonment.
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
. The Department of Transportation serves an umbrella organization for seven subsidiary agencies which are directly responsible for different areas of the state's infrastructure.
Division of Highways
The West Virginia Division of Highways (DOH) is the largest component of the Department of Transportation. It is responsible for almost all public roads in the state outside of incorporated municipalities. The Division of Highways was previously its own standalone agency, the Department of Highways, and was formerly known as the State Road Commission until about the 1970s.Division of Motor Vehicles
The West Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) handles vehicle registration and driver licensing for the state. In addition to its headquarters in CharlestonCharleston, West Virginia
Charleston is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of West Virginia. It is located at the confluence of the Elk and Kanawha Rivers in Kanawha County. As of the 2010 census, it has a population of 51,400, and its metropolitan area 304,214. It is the county seat of Kanawha County.Early...
, it operates a network of 23 regional offices throughout West Virginia.
Parkways Authority
The West Virginia Parkways Authority was created in 1989 as a successor to the West Virginia Turnpike Commission. The agency is tasked with operating the West Virginia TurnpikeWest Virginia Turnpike
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...
, a 88 miles (141.6 km) tolled stretch of Interstate 77
Interstate 77 in West Virginia
In the U.S. state of West Virginia, Interstate 77 is a major north–south Interstate highway. It extends for between Bluefield at the Virginia state line to Williamstown at the Ohio state line....
from Charleston
Charleston, West Virginia
Charleston is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of West Virginia. It is located at the confluence of the Elk and Kanawha Rivers in Kanawha County. As of the 2010 census, it has a population of 51,400, and its metropolitan area 304,214. It is the county seat of Kanawha County.Early...
to Princeton
Princeton, West Virginia
Princeton is a city in Mercer County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 7,652 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Bluefield, WV-VA micropolitan area which has a population of 111,586. It is the county seat of Mercer County...
. It is also involved in the planned operation of a toll U.S. Route 35 in Mason and Putnam counties and the Mon-Fayette Expressway.
The Parkways Authority previously was named the Parkways, Economic Development, and Tourism Authority. It participated in economic development programs, an activity that was curtailed under former governor Joe Manchin
Joe Manchin
Joseph "Joe" Manchin III is the junior United States Senator representing West Virginia. Manchin, a Democrat, was Governor of West Virginia from 2005 to 2010...
. It continues to operate Tamarack, Best of West Virginia
Tamarack, Best of West Virginia
Tamarack: The Best of West Virginia: is a tourist destination located at Exit 44 above the Beckley service area of the West Virginia Turnpike. It features a red peaked roof and landscaped grounds that draw over 500,000 visitors annually...
, an arts and crafts center near Beckley
Beckley, West Virginia
Beckley is a city in Raleigh County, West Virginia, United States, which was founded on April 4, 1838. The 2008 population was estimated to be 16,832 by the U.S. Census Bureau. Early in its history, the town was known as Beckleyville and Raleigh Court House...
, pending its transfer to the West Virginia Department of Commerce
West Virginia Department of Commerce
The West Virginia Department of Commerce is a government agency of the U.S. state of West Virginia. It is responsible for overseeing West Virginia's economy, workforce, natural resources, and tourism and oversees nine subsidiary agencies.-Subsidiary agencies:...
.
State Rail Authority
The State Rail Authority was formed to assume ownership of rail lines that were planned for abandonment by their original operators. It directly operates the South Branch Valley RailroadSouth Branch Valley Railroad
The South Branch Valley Railroad consists of a 52.4 mile length of railroad in the U.S. state of West Virginia extending north along the South Branch Potomac River from Petersburg to the CSXT mainline at Green Spring adjacent to the Potomac River...
, a former 52 miles (83.7 km) Baltimore & Ohio Railroad line between Green Spring
Green Spring, West Virginia
Green Spring is an unincorporated census-designated place and railroad town in Hampshire County, West Virginia, USA. As of the 2010 census, its population was 218. Green Spring is located north of Springfield on Green Spring Road near the confluence of the North and South Branches of the Potomac...
and Petersburg
Petersburg, West Virginia
Petersburg is a city in Grant County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 2,423 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Grant County.-History:...
.
The Authority also owns the West Virginia Central Railroad, consisting of 132 miles (212.4 km) near Elkins
Elkins, West Virginia
Elkins is a city in Randolph County, West Virginia, United States. The community was incorporated in 1890 and named in honor of Stephen Benton Elkins , a U.S. Senator from West Virginia. The population was 7,032 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Randolph County...
. The West Virginia Central is operated by a private company, the Durbin and Greenbrier Valley Railroad
Durbin and Greenbrier Valley Railroad
The Durbin and Greenbrier Valley Railroad is a heritage and freight railroad in the U.S. state of West Virginia. It operates the West Virginia State Rail Authority-owned Durbin Railroad and West Virginia Central Railroad , as well as the Shenandoah Valley Railroad in Virginia.-Trains:The DGVR...
.
Other State Rail Authority duties include promoting tourist and short-line railroads, operating three MARC
MARC Train
MARC , known prior to 1984 as Maryland Rail Commuter Service, is a regional rail system comprising three lines in the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. MARC is administered by the Maryland Transit Administration , a Maryland Department of Transportation agency, and is operated under contract...
train stations in the Eastern Panhandle
Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia
The Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia is a narrow stretch of territory in the northeast of the state, bordering Maryland and Virginia, United States. The Eastern Panhandle Board of Realtors and other local civic organizations consider only the three Easternmost counties, Jefferson, Berkeley and...
, and helping to preserve or railbank lines targeted for abandonment.