A NEW Gateway to MARSHALL’S HUNTINGTON CAMPUS

Construction has begun on a major project that will make Hal Greer Boulevard safer for students and more aesthetically pleasing to visitors.

By James E. Casto

After a multiyear planning and design process, construction work has started on a project that will transform Hal Greer Boulevard from Third Avenue to Washington Boulevard.

“Hal Greer Boulevard is the gateway to downtown Huntington and the Marshall University campus,” said Huntington Mayor Steve Williams. “Every day thousands of motorists travel Hal Greer Boulevard. Our goal is to make the Hal Greer corridor much safer, better lighted and more conducive to economic development.”

The Hal Greer improvements are the result of a lengthy collaboration among the City of Huntington, the KYOVA Interstate Planning Commission and the West Virginia Division of Highways (DOH).

Other partners who aided in the planning included Marshall University, Marshall Health, Cabell Huntington Hospital, the Thundercloud fiber optic network, the Fairfield Alliance, Fairfield Community Development Corporation, the A.D. Lewis Community Center, the Huntington Housing Authority, businesses located on Hal Greer and residents of the Fairfield neighborhood.

“This plan is very special,” said KYOVA Executive Director Chris Chiles. “And one of the reasons why is because all levels of government and the community came together to create it. Without the united front displayed by all the agencies involved and without the participation of the community we would not be where we are today.

“Moreover,” he continued, “what we’ve accomplished with the Hal Greer plan lays the groundwork for future cooperative projects here in the area. We have shown the DOH that the city, other major stakeholders and the members of the community can come together and deliver a major transformational project. You do not see that in many places.”

The DOH has awarded a $13.5 million contract to Triton Construction Inc. for the construction work revamping Hal Greer. The City of Huntington will contribute 20% of the project’s cost. The remaining 80% is funded through a federal grant secured by KYOVA.

Busy Hal Greer Boulevard is the epicenter of Huntington’s medical infrastructure, with Cabell Huntington Hospital and Marshall’s growing health sciences campus, which draw steady streams of traffic.

“The Hal Greer corridor is very congested, and it’s gotten worse with our addition of the School of Pharmacy, student housing and a parking garage,” said

James E. Terry, director of MU’s Office of Public Safety. “So the major improvements coming for the corridor are certainly welcome.

“I like the plan’s unified approach, with all the individual pieces designed to work together,” he added. “I especially like the new protections it will provide pedestrians and bikers.”

Ultimately, improvements also are envisioned for the portion of the Hal Greer Corridor stretching from Washington Boulevard to Kinetic Park.

Williams noted that as the project plan was being drafted, several opportunities were provided for members of the public to hear about the plan and offer their feedback. The opportunities included an initial project symposium, multiple public meetings as work on the plan progressed and an open house detailing the final plan.

“There were several guiding principles in the creation of the Hal Greer plan,” Williams said. “These included the safety of all users, prioritized consideration for pedestrians and bikers, addressing stormwater issues and supporting quality development and redevelopment.”

Williams noted that construction work implementing the planned improvements will bring major traffic interruptions in the coming months, but the temporary inconvenience will be more than worth it for a new, safer roadway. The plan also envisions new economic development opportunities along Hal Greer Boulevard.

“That’s going to take time, but it’s going to happen. It’s inevitable,” Williams said. “I can absolutely guarantee you that if somebody left Huntington today and returned after being gone for 10 years they wouldn’t recognize Hal Greer Boulevard. That’s how dramatically different the future corridor is going to be.”

The new improvements being undertaken along the Hal Greer corridor include:

• Widened sidewalks on the east side, protected midblock crossings with rectangular rapid flashing beacons, high-visibility crosswalks, pedestrian countdown signals at intersections and planted medians to address stormwater issues and control turning movements.

•New pedestrian lighting along Hal Greer from Third Avenue to Washington Boulevard.

•Protected bike lanes from Third Avenue to Seventh Avenue and a protected pedestrian and bike path under the Hal Greer underpass.

•Realigning Charleston and 10th avenues on either side of the former Northcott Court to straighten out the intersections and eliminate redundant stop lights.

•Reconfigured stop lights along the rest of the Hal Greer corridor to allow for a more efficient pathway. According to simulation models, the roadway improvements will reduce the overall corridor delay by 12-15%.

•Major safety improvements near Cabell Huntington Hospital, especially for pedestrians. This includes the construction of a Danish crossing (pedestrian island) at the intersection of Columbia and 13th avenues, which will give pedestrians a safe refuge while crossing Hal Greer. The entrance to Cabell Huntington Hospital and Medical Center Drive will be redesigned and will include aligned crosswalks and upgraded signals for pedestrians crossing Hal Greer.

•Reconfiguring of the roadway near Marshall’s campus between Third and Seventh avenues to add a two-way cycle track, which will be protected from traffic by additional parallel parking.