A color slide shows us the steady progress of replacing the roadway through Main Street Marlinton in 1960. Articles in The Pocahontas Times helped to piece together this massive improvement project in the town.
In January 1959 it was announced that the State Road Commission would replace the bridge over the Greenbrier River, which was built in 1915. The new bridge would consist of a 28-foot roadway with sidewalks on both sides. New streets and sidewalks were also planned for Main Street up to the railroad tracks. New 18-inch storm sewers were installed under the street. The street was constructed of 8-inch concrete over a stone base with an 8-inch built-in curb.
In August 1959 an agreement was reached with Monongahela Power Company on replacement of the streetlights which would be on metal poles “erected close to or between the buildings and thus clear the sidewalks of the present big, unsightly poles. The wiring will be underground. This will be a decided improvement and would have been acted on earlier except for the prohibitive cost. Under the new arrangement, the cost will be spread over 20 years by an increase of $630 per year in the Town’s electric bill.” Photo courtesy of Jaynell Graham, ID PHP000949
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