End of future US highway 121 |
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2005-present *
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*Commissioned in 2005, but still mostly unbuilt
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The first US 121 was among the original routes of 1926, but it lasted only until 1934. 70 years later, the US 121 designation was recycled, when it was requested by the states of Virginia and West Virginia. AASHTO approved the designation in 2005, despite the fact that none of the highway had been built at the time, and despite the fact that it will not connect with US 21 (it will come close to the historic alignment of US 21, but US x19 would have been a more appropriate number). The highway is ultimately planned to run for roughly 100 miles through some economically-depressed areas in the two states.
Better known locally as the Coalfields Expressway (or CFX), the majority of US 121 is still in the planning stage, and it is possible that it will never be completed. Many people are opposed for various reasons, such as its impact to the environment, its cost of construction, and the perceived lack of return on investment. Some coal companies have floated the idea of helping with the expense by offering to clear-cut the corridor and mine the underlying coal, leaving behind a roadbed ready for paving. However, their offer is contingent upon aligning the highway through areas that would yield the most coal, so one immediately suspects the potential for a conflict of interest. And now that the coal industry is experiencing its own downturn, construction seems to have stalled. So if this highway is ever completed, it probably will not happen for quite some time.
Better known locally as the Coalfields Expressway (or CFX), the majority of US 121 is still in the planning stage, and it is possible that it will never be completed. Many people are opposed for various reasons, such as its impact to the environment, its cost of construction, and the perceived lack of return on investment. Some coal companies have floated the idea of helping with the expense by offering to clear-cut the corridor and mine the underlying coal, leaving behind a roadbed ready for paving. However, their offer is contingent upon aligning the highway through areas that would yield the most coal, so one immediately suspects the potential for a conflict of interest. And now that the coal industry is experiencing its own downturn, construction seems to have stalled. So if this highway is ever completed, it probably will not happen for quite some time.
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As of 2021 a 13-mile standalone section between Sophia and Mullens is open to traffic. However, entrances to this segment are not signed as US 121, but simply as "Local traffic only". And the road itself has been signposted as WV 121:
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Elkins, July 2008
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Elkins, July 2008
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Probably WV DoT will not sign it as US 121 until it is more substantially complete. Continuing north, WV 121 merges with WV 16-97, which connects with I-64/77. The WV 97 designation ends at that interchange...
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Elkins, July 2008
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...and it is possible that junction will serve as a temporary north end of US 121 in the future. However, the ultimate plan is to tie US 121 into the interchange where I-64 and I-77 split, just south of Beckley. Here is a photo taken from westbound I-64:
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Nitzman, June 2005
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That is essentially a "T" junction: I-77 runs left and right across the photo, and I-64 joins northbound I-77 to the right. The long-range plan is to make this a four-way interchange, with US 121 beginning straight ahead, and joining with the existing segment near Sophia.
At the south end, US 121 is planned to end at US 23 near Pound. Apparently the highway would tie in to the north of town, right about where VA 630 currently connects with US 23: |
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That interactive image is looking north on US 23, which curves off to the left. To the right is VA 630, which curves down the valley to the right. That may be right about where US 121 will connect. If the road is ever completed, drivers will be able to head east from Virginia and arrive in West Virginia.
Not far from Pound, Virginia is working on a segment of "Corridor Q", which will eventually be part of US 460, and a two-mile section of it will also carry US 121. Surprisingly, they are already signposting that segment with US 121 markers, despite the fact that the adjoining segments of future 121 are not even funded, much less under construction: |
Elkins, Dec. 2023
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Research and/or photo credits: H.B. Elkins, Alex Nitzman; Dale Sanderson
Page originally created 2005;
last updated Jan. 2, 2024.
last updated Jan. 2, 2024.
