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NEWS BRIEFS
W.Va. turnpike moves ahead on installing gates
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — State and federal officials hope to have a contract by mid-January for installing four gates along the West Virginia Turnpike that would allow motorists to change directions during emergencies.
The state Department of Transportation and the Parkways, Economic Development and Tourism Authority have been studying the idea of retractable gates since a snowstorm the weekend of Dec. 18-20 shut down the turnpike.
Some motorists were stranded for up to 20 hours.
Manually operated gates along the 30-mile stretch between Charleston and Mossy would allow cars to pass through the median and head back in the other direction.
Division of Highways spokesman Brent Walker says federal stimulus money may be used to pay the estimated $850,000 cost.
