MORGANTOWN — The road conditions in Morgantown are worse than anywhere else in West Virginia.
It’s a refrain heard time and again around these parts from frustrated, pot-hole dazed drivers.
It also happens to be accurate according to the most recent data from national transportation research nonprofit TRIP.
In Keeping West Virginia Moving Forward: Progress & Challenges in Achieving a 21st Century Transportation System, TRIP reports that 29% of Morgantown’s major roads are in “poor” condition – by far the highest percentage in any of the state’s urban areas.
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By way of comparison, 4% of Beckley’s roads are considered poor.
In fact, the percentage of bad roads in Beckley, Huntington, Parkersburg and Wheeling ranges from 4-10%. Charleston sits at 11%.
Weirton-Steubenville has the second highest percentage of poor roads, at 18%.
Morgantown also has the highest percentage of “mediocre” roads, at 22%; the lowest percentage of “fair” roads at 13%; and far and away the lowest percentage of “good” roads, at 36%.
The average percentage of good roads in the six other urban areas is 58%, topped by Beckley at 69%.
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So, what does this mean for Morgantown’s drivers?
Money.
TRIP notes, “The HDM study found that road deterioration increases ownership, repair, fuel and tire costs. The report found that deteriorated roads accelerate the pace of depreciation of vehicles and the need for repairs because the stress on the vehicle increases in proportion to the level of roughness of the pavement surface.”
According to the data, busted roads cost Morgantown drivers an average of $875 each year, which is $250 more than what they cost drivers in Weirton-Steubenville – the urban area with the second highest annual cost, at $625 – and more than three times what they cost drivers in Beckley ($272).
West Virginia Secretary of Transportation Todd Rumbaugh was among the speakers Tuesday morning during a virtual news conference organized by TRIP.
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He said the state is looking to improve road conditions despite facing declining funding levels in a post-Roads to Prosperity atmosphere.
Rumbaugh explained the $1.6 billion bond program approved under Gov. Jim Justice made a lot of projects possible but represented a drop in the bucket in terms of overall need.
Further, as available funding decreases, the funding that remains is becoming less effective.
The Federal Highway Administration’s national highway construction cost index, which measures labor and materials cost, increased by 45% from the beginning of 2022 through the second quarter of 2024.
“We are looking to reorganize and restructure with the guidance of Governor Morrissey. We’re going to get much more efficient. We’re going to improve our roadways,” Rumbaurgh said, later adding, “We do have some areas that we realize that we need to do some work based on congestion. A few areas of the state are growing and that’s a great thing, but it does create a congestion problem and we realize we need to work in those areas also to get ahead of the game where we can.”
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While Morgantown is one of the state’s handful of growth areas, it’s pretty much middle-of-the-road in terms of traffic.
Morgantown drivers lose 16 hours annually to congestion, which is on par with Beckley (15) and Huntington (15) but less than Weirton-Steubenville (21), Charleston (26) and Wheeling (39).
As the majority of “major” roads in the greater Morgantown area are maintained by the state, The Dominion Post reached out to the West Virginia Division of Highways regarding TRIP’s findings. The DOH did not respond in time for this report.
Join the Main Street Morgantown family-friendly holiday shopping event from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday (Dec. 13) in Downtown Morgantown.
The event will feature a district-wide scavenger hunt for a chance to win prizes and the opportunity to explore holiday pop-up markets by Hoot and Howl, The Co-Op and Apothecary Ale House.
While exploring downtown shops, participants who spot DASH the Dog can collect stamps. Each stamp brings participants closer to the chance of winning prizes from downtown merchants such as gift cards and goods. To qualify for prizes, completed Downtown Dash Guides with five or more stamps must be turned into Hoot and Howl, The Co-Op, Apothecary Ale House or at Breezeline’s play-to-win tent on Courthouse Square.
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As a break from shopping, parents and their little ones can visit Kids Craft, Cookies & Cocoa Central at the WARD Building to enjoy a complimentary hot cocoa and cookie bar and children’s crafts provided by Hotel Morgan sponsored by Main Street Morgantown and Breezeline.
Visitors can also visit the beautiful 25-foot-tall holiday tree on display at Courthouse Square, a collaboration between the City of Morgantown, Monongalia County and Main Street Morgantown.
Sponsored by Breezeline, the Downtown Dash celebrates the holiday season, promotes walking and shopping throughout the downtown district, and supports local businesses by driving foot traffic directly to storefronts.
WHEELING, W.Va. — The West Virginia First Foundation visited the Wheeling Police Department to commend its efforts in addressing the area’s mental health and opioid crisis.
Wheeling Police Chief Shawn Schwertfeger presented to the WVFF board, highlighting the department’s progress.
Schwertfeger attributed a 14% decrease in Group A crimes from 2024 to 2025 to the department’s crisis intervention program.
“Just another great partnership,” he said. “More collaboration in this area that we are very proud of and we want to keep the momentum going,.”
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WVFF Executive Director Jonathan Board praised the program’s success.
“This in particular, the CIT program, that isn’t just in the ether, but is showing success – actual scientific success about de-escalation, about bringing together services providers and to boots on the ground and first responders, this is vitally important to not only this region but the entire state,” Board said.
The visit was part of WVFF’s ‘Hold the Line’ tour across the state.
Now that you know about West Virginia’s2026 recruiting class, I figured it’d be a good time to give a little insight into those who were once committed to the Mountaineers and landed elsewhere.
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What happened, and where did they go?
QB Brodie McWhorter (Mississippi State)
McWhorter committed to Neal Brown and his coaching staff, but reopened his recruitment when the coaching change was made. Rich Rodriguez did recruit him at the beginning, holding several conversations with him before backing off and pursuing Jyron Hughley and Legend Bey. Hughley committed, Bey committed to Ohio State (signed with Tennessee), while WVU added two more quarterbacks in Wyatt Brown and John Johnson III.
RB Jett Walker (Texas)
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Walker fit the bill for what Rodriguez wanted in the backfield. A big, physical presence who could absorb contact and hammer it in between the tackles. With multiple backs committed and feeling good about a few others, WVU didn’t feel pressed to hold onto him. Walker flipped to Minnesota and then flipped to Texas just three weeks later
WR Jeffar Jean-Noel (Georgia Tech)
Jean-Noel was the second recruit to commit to Rodriguez in the 2026 class, but reopened his recruitment in mid-April. He then considered Purdue, Pitt, Kentucky, UCF, and Florida State before landing at Georgia Tech.
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OL Justyn Lyles (Marshall)
The Mountaineers had a number of offensive line commits, and with the late additions of Kevin Brown and Aidan Woods, and their chances of securing Jonas Muya, Lyles took a visit to Marshall and flipped his commitment.
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LB Caleb Gordon (North Carolina)
Gordon’s commitment to WVU was very brief. As a matter of fact, it was the shortest of the bunch, announcing his pledge on November 24th and then flipping to NC State on the first day of the early signing period (December 3rd).
LB Daiveon Taylor (Kent State)
Taylor was the first commit in the class; however, it was so early that he was committed to Neal Brown’s staff, announcing his decision in April of 2024. He backed off that pledge the very day Brown was fired (December 1st) and eventually signed with Kent State.
CB Emari Peterson (unsigned)
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Peterson decommitted from WVU just days before signing day, likely due to the Mountaineers zeroing in on a pair of JUCO corners in Rayshawn Reynolds and Da’Mun Allen. He will sign in February and currently has offers from Appalachian State, Arkansas State, Bowling Green, Charlotte, Cincinnati, East Carolina, Florida Atlantic, FIU, Georgia State, Georgia Tech, Illinois, Kentucky, Liberty, LSU, South Florida, Southern Miss, Texas A&M, Toledo, Wake Forest, and a few others.
S Aaron Edwards (committed to Tulsa)
West Virginia chose to part ways with Edwards and ultimately replaced his spot with fellow JUCO safety Da’Mare Williams.
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S Jaylon Jones (undecided)
Jones decommitted in late October and did not sign during the early signing period. He will likely choose between Central Michigan, Hawai’i, Sam Houston, Stephen F. Austin, and Texas State.
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S Taj Powell (Louisville)
Taj is the brother of former Mountaineer basketball guard Jonathan Powell, who is now at North Carolina. He decommitted the day after West Virginia lost to Ohio and flipped to Louisville that same day.
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