Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1922-02-02
THE PINE HILLS ROAD.


Register recently in protest agains.
the remarkable decision Of the State
Road Commission locating the pro-
oosei STATE road between Martins
burg and Charles Town by way Of the
Pine Hills Of Berkeley county, makes
this statement:
The only permanent thing about a
road is ts location. Let us try 10 get
that right"
The commission has as its very
first step in this section of the State
made wrong location. No matter
how much money may hereafter be-
spent, the location Of the road will
always be wrong-unless IL shall be
changed to route satisfactory to at
least fair proportion of the people.
Our correspondent very truly says
that having carefully studied the pro-:.
posed route between Martinsburg and
Charles Town, he has arrived at the
conclusion that IL will not meet the
needs of either local or through traffic
in the most practical manner" -,
Why, then, has the commission made
such selection? II Is by long odds
the most costly route that could have, /,
been chosen, so economy could not be
the reason. II accommodates a less.
number of persons than any otheft
route that was suggested, for much
of the road is through barren and
sparsely settled section Of country, the
Pine Hills of Berkeley county being
notoriously poor.
There is not one frst-class farm be-
tween Martinsburg and the Berkeley
county line, with possibly one exceps
ton, though the good roads law says
that in selecting route due considers
alton shall be given to AGRICULTURAL
sections.
The law says that the commission
shall give due consideration to i'm
portant cities and towns, facilities OF
transportation and commercial centers..
In this case the commission has re-
versed the law. II avoids Shepherds
town, the second largest town in the
county; it ignores Shenandoah juno:
ton, the most important railroad cen
ter in the county; in fact, in the en-
tire distance between Martinsburg and
Charles Town II goes near but one viii
lage, Kearneysville, passing along its
southern border.
BY selecting the obscure Pine Hills.
route the commission disregards the
main Travelled roads, with their solid
roadbeds and wide right-of- and ex-
eellent alignment, that have been used
for hundred and Atty years, and
which could be converted into Hrst-
class highways at minimum cost
1t loses the opportunity to connect
Shepherdstown with the magnificent
system Of State roads Of Maryland and
Pennsylvania leading North and East
An apologist for the commission
says that ii has selected the Pine Hills
route so as TO avoid railroad crossings
II has not escaped them. There are
| t"o oiahSH nHSS " Ue CTOSSSu near
Martinsburg, besides the main line Of
the Norfolk & Western, the Valley
Branch Of the B. & O.. and the Belt
Line in Charles Town.
Besides, for what it will cost to
bridge the Opequon and make the
necessary fills at Riley's Ford, it is
probable that every crossing on the
Shepherdstown route could either be
bridged or tunneled by permanen,
construction.
DR.. Stephenson is the Democratic
member Of the board. We do not
charge that partisan politics influenced
the boards action-we do not believe
that this is the case But we do
think that he ought to have been more
regardful OF the interests Of Jefferson
county-the little eve lamb Of Democ-
racy in West Virginia.
The State Road Commission has made
a wrong decision in the selection of the
Martinsburg- Charles Town route. II
lselected the location without having
gone over the ground. II ought to do
the right thing and change the route
so unsatisfactory to the people of this
section