Overview

  • Appalachian Corridor H is a planned four-lane highway originally commissioned in 1965 as part of the Appalachian Development Highway System to connect I-81 in Strasburg, VA to I-79 In Weston, WV.
  • The remaining unbuilt segment would pass directly through multiple historic homes and the George Washington National Forest.
  • WVHC and local residents are working to ensure the project doesn't irreversibly harm the town's character and surrounding landscapes.
  • The proposed route is 6.8 miles and is estimated to cost taxpayers $474 million to construct.
  • The last Environmental Impact Statement was completed in 1996, and a Finding of No Significant Impact was issued by West Virginia Division of Highways in November 2025.
  • If constructed, the four-lane highway would end just below the crest of Great North Mountain, where all eastbound traffic would be funneled onto Virginia’s much narrower, two-lane Route 55.
  • Virginia has no active plans to construct its portion of Corridor H to the I-81 corridor. The state halted development efforts after strong public opposition in the 1990s. No design, funding, or planning work is underway, leaving the project’s eastern connection without a path forward on the Virginia side.

What's at stake

  • The planned route would adversely impact Wardensville's Main Street businesses, multiple historic homes, generational family farms, and scenic views.
  • The route as currently planned crosses Wardensville's Wellhead Protection Area—a designated zone where special protections are put in place to prevent groundwater contamination that supplies the town's well. Residents are concerned about drinking water quality, increased pollution, commercial trucking traffic, noise and light pollution.
  • Habitat fragmentation and runoff impacts on nearby headwater streams and forest edges of the George Washington national Forest.
  • Loss of rural and cultural identity that supports the town's agritourism based economy.
  • Unclear and impossible to predict harm to both the Tuscarora Trail and the adjacent Hawk Recreation Area.
  • The area hosts one of the Wood Turtle’s last remaining strongholds, but the species—petitioned for Endangered Species Act protection for more than a decade and recognized as a Species of Greatest Conservation Need—is declining due to habitat loss, fragmentation, roads, and pollution.

Community Voices And Local Leadership

  • We champion collaboration with local residents and business owners advocating for a more thoughtful approach.
  • We strive to preserve what makes the town special. It's small-town character, natural beauty, and strong sense of community.

WVHC's Role

  • Supporting community advocacy, monitoring West Virginia Division of Highways and Federal Highway Administration process, submitting public comments, and raising awareness statewide.