On or around the 24th of August, Surveyors and the marking crews began marking the way for the new fiber – optic line through the Counties of Wood, Ritchie, Doddridge and Harrison to bring the area what is touted to be “better phone service”, running parallel with the 72 mile North Bend Rail Trail for their right of way.
On the 27th, digging with large equipment, the laying of the line began at Happy Valley on the western end of the NBRT. It was reported that trail users should expect some adverse situations on the trail as they pass through but upon completion, because the contract includes leaving the NBRT in as good or better condition as it was found, it is hoped the areas that needed resurfacing will be left in better condition than it was found. On Saturday the 29th they were as far as Mile Marker 2.5 with some holes dug as far as Walker at Mile Marker 12. Moving eastward and on September 2, NBRT Superintendent noted the crews were working 7 days a week, using five pieces of heavy equipment, and had begun replacing the stone on the surface as they moved completed the laying of the line.
Over Labor Day Weekend an alert went out over the NBRT Foundation’s Facebook site warning trail users to avoid the area between MM3 and MM10 in the town of Walker. He indicated the area east of Walker would not be impacted by the construction at that time.
On the 9th another alert went out to warn users that the Walker trail head was being used for staging and trail users needed to use the Petroleum trail head to access the trail.
It is advised that the NBRT Superintendent will continue to provide to the NBRT Foundation’s Face Book site the condition of the NBRT, the best access points and alerts.
This project is to continue through the end of the year.
