Editing Interstate 68 (section)

==History==
[[File:Interstate 68 time-lapse.webm|thumb|left|Time-lapse video of an eastbound trip on I-68 in 2017]]

===Predecessors===
Prior to the construction of the freeway from Morgantown to Hancock, several different routes carried traffic across the region. [[West Virginia Route&nbsp;73]] (WV&nbsp;73) extended from [[Bridgeport, West Virginia|Bridgeport]] to [[Bruceton Mills, West Virginia|Bruceton Mills]], serving regions now served by I-79 (Bridgeport to Morgantown) and I-68 (Morgantown to Bruceton Mills). After the I-68 freeway, then known as US&nbsp;48, was completed in West Virginia, the WV&nbsp;73 designation was removed. Portions of the road still exist as County Route&nbsp;73 (CR&nbsp;73), CR&nbsp;73/73, and CR&nbsp;857. Between I-68's exit&nbsp;10 at [[Cheat Lake, West Virginia|Cheat Lake]] and exit&nbsp;15 at [[Coopers Rock State Forest|Coopers Rock]], I-68 was largely built directly over old WV&nbsp;73's roadbed.

At Bruceton Mills, WV&nbsp;73 ended at [[West Virginia Route 26|WV&nbsp;26]], which, from there, runs northeast into Pennsylvania, becoming [[Pennsylvania Route&nbsp;281]] at the state line and meeting [[U.S. Route 40|US&nbsp;40]] north of the border. From there, eastbound traffic would follow US&nbsp;40 into Maryland. I-68 now parallels US&nbsp;40 through western Maryland.<ref name=arc_core>{{cite book |author = Wilbur Smith Associates |date = July 1998 |publisher = [[Appalachian Regional Commission]] |chapter = Highway and Traffic Analysis |page = 11 |chapter-url = http://www.arc.gov/images/reports/wsa/wsa-4chap3.pdf |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090407200809/http://www.arc.gov/images/reports/wsa/wsa-4chap3.pdf |archive-date = April 7, 2009 |title = ADHS Economic Evaluation |access-date = April 11, 2009 }}</ref>

US&nbsp;40 followed the route of the [[National Road]] through Pennsylvania and Maryland. The National Road was the first federally funded road built in the U.S., authorized by [[United States Congress|Congress]] in 1806. Construction lasted from 1811 to 1837, establishing a road that extended from Cumberland to [[Vandalia, Illinois]]. Upon the establishment of the [[U.S. Numbered Highway System]] in 1926, the route of the National Road became part of US&nbsp;40.<ref name=National_Road>{{cite book |location = Baltimore |publisher = Johns Hopkins University Press |isbn = 978-0-8018-5155-1 |year = 1996 |page = 131 |first1 = Karl |last1 = Raitz |first2 = George |last2 = Thomson |name-list-style=amp |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=_XSoga0PSd0C&pg=PA131 |access-date = October 11, 2008 |via= [[Google Books]] |title = The National Road }}</ref>

===Cumberland Thruway===
[[File:Cumberland Thruway Wills Creek.jpg|thumb|left|The Cumberland Thruway bridge, as seen from the Baltimore Street bridge over Wills Creek in Cumberland, Maryland|alt=A highway bridge passes above a creek, with a railroad bridge visible in the background.]]

In the early 1960s, as the [[Interstate Highway System]] was being built throughout the U.S., east–west travel through western Maryland was difficult, as US&nbsp;40, the predecessor to I-68, was a two-lane country road with steep grades and hairpin turns.<ref name=mdrd/> In [[Cumberland, Maryland|Cumberland]], the traffic situation was particularly problematic, as the usage of US&nbsp;40 exceeded the capacity of the city's narrow streets.<ref name=mdrd/> Traffic following US&nbsp;40 through Cumberland entered through the [[Cumberland Narrows]] and followed Henderson Avenue to Baltimore Avenue. After the construction of I-68, this route through Cumberland became [[U.S. Route 40 Alternate (Keysers Ridge–Cumberland, Maryland)|US&nbsp;40 Alternate]] (US&nbsp;40 Alt.).<ref name=HLR/>

Construction began on one of the first sections of what would become I-68, the Cumberland Thruway, on June 10, 1965.<ref name=demolition_bridge>{{cite news |work = [[Cumberland Times-News|Cumberland News]] |date = June 10, 1965 |title = Demolition in Path of Bridge to Begin |page=12}}</ref> This portion of the highway, which consists of a mile-long ({{Convert|1|mi|km|disp=output only}}) elevated bridge, was completed and opened to the public on December 5, 1966.<ref>{{cite news |work = Cumberland News |date = December 5, 1966 |title = Cumberland Thruway Opened to Motorists |page=5}}</ref> The elevated highway connected Lee Street in west Cumberland to Maryland Avenue in east Cumberland, providing a quicker path for motorists traveling through the town on US&nbsp;40 and [[U.S. Route 220|US&nbsp;220]]. The Cumberland Thruway was extended to US&nbsp;220 and then to Vocke Road ([[Maryland Route&nbsp;658]], or MD&nbsp;658) by 1970.<ref name=To_220>{{cite news |work = [[Cumberland Times-News|Cumberland Evening Times]] |date = February 9, 1967 |title = Next Phase of Thruway Bids Asked |page=27}}</ref><ref name=Vocke>{{cite news |work = Cumberland News |date = October 18, 1969 |title = New Freeway Sections Will Open Today |page=25}}</ref> Problems quickly emerged with the highway, especially near an area called "Moose Curve". At Moose Curve, the road curves sharply at the bottom of [[Haystack Mountain (Maryland)|Haystack Mountain]], and traffic accidents are common.<ref>{{cite news |work = Cumberland Evening Times |date = July 28, 1972 |title = Transportation Department Head to Check Thruway |page=9}}</ref>

===Corridor E===
{{For|the current US&nbsp;48|U.S. Route 48}}
{{infobox road small
|country=USA
|type=US
|route=48
|location=[[Morgantown, West Virginia]]–[[Hancock, Maryland]]
|formed=1965
|deleted=1991
}}
[[File:2017-07-30 17 59 35 View east along Interstate 68 just east of Exit 23 (West Virginia State Route 26, Bruceton Mills) in Preston County, West Virginia.jpg|thumb|right|View east along I-68 east of WV&nbsp;26 in Preston County, West Virginia]]
In 1965, the Appalachian Development Act was passed, authorizing the establishment of the [[Appalachian Development Highway System|ADHS]], which was meant to provide access to areas throughout the [[Appalachian Mountains]] that were not previously served by the Interstate Highway System. A set of corridors was defined, comprising {{convert|3090|mi|km}} of highways from [[New York (state)|New York]] to [[Mississippi]]. Corridor&nbsp;E in this system was defined to have endpoints at [[Interstate 79|I-79]] in [[Morgantown, West Virginia]], and [[Interstate 70|I-70]] in [[Hancock, Maryland]]. At the time, there were no freeways along the corridor, though construction on the Cumberland Thruway began that year.<ref name=demolition_bridge/><ref name=md_map_1960>{{cite map |author= Maryland State Roads Commission |scale= c. 1:380,160 |location= Annapolis |publisher = Maryland State Roads Commission |title = Map of Maryland |year = 1960 |url = http://www.mdhighwaycentennial.com/images/template/gallery/maps/1960SIDE1.jpg |access-date = February 4, 2009 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090205112246/http://www.mdhighwaycentennial.com/images/template/gallery/maps/1960SIDE1.jpg |archive-date = February 5, 2009 }}</ref> It was this corridor that would eventually become I-68.<ref name=arc>{{cite web |author = Appalachian Regional Commission |publisher = Appalachian Regional Commission |title = Highway Program |url = http://www.arc.gov/index.do?nodeId=1006 |year = 2007 |access-date = January 17, 2009 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090117183319/http://www.arc.gov/index.do?nodeId=1006 |archive-date = January 17, 2009 |df = mdy-all }}</ref>

The construction of Corridor&nbsp;E, which was also designated as US&nbsp;48, took over 20&nbsp;years and hundreds of millions of dollars to complete.<ref name=mdrd/> The cost of completing the freeway in West Virginia has been estimated at $113&nbsp;million (equivalent to ${{Formatprice|{{Inflation|US-GDP|113000000|1976}}}} in {{Inflation/year|index=US-GDP}}{{Inflation/fn|index=US-GDP}}).<ref name="wtov">{{cite news |publisher = [[WTOV-TV]] |location = Steubenville, OH |date = September 9, 2003 |title = I-68 Extension Gets Important Federal Endorsement |url = http://www.wtov9.com/news/news/i-68-extension-gets-important-federal-endorsement/nJK5x/ |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120322191018/http://www.wtov9.com/news/news/i-68-extension-gets-important-federal-endorsement/nJK5x/ |archive-date = March 22, 2012 |access-date = January 17, 2009 }}</ref> The cost of building I-68 from Cumberland to the West Virginia state line came to $126&nbsp;million (equivalent to ${{Formatprice|{{Inflation|US-GDP|126000000|1976}}}} in {{Inflation/year|index=US-GDP}}{{Inflation/fn|index=US-GDP}}); the portion between Cumberland and [[Sideling Hill]] cost $182&nbsp;million (equivalent to ${{Formatprice|{{Inflation|US-GDP|182000000|1991}}}} in {{Inflation/year|index=US-GDP}}{{Inflation/fn|index=US-GDP}}); and the section at Sideling Hill cost $44&nbsp;million (equivalent to ${{Formatprice|{{Inflation|US-GDP|44000000|1991}}}} in {{Inflation/year|index=US-GDP}}{{Inflation/fn|index=US-GDP}}).<ref name=mdrd>{{cite journal |author = Maryland State Highway Administration |publisher = Maryland State Highway Administration |periodical = Maryland Roads |title = Building the National Freeway |date = August 2, 1991 |url = http://msa.maryland.gov/megafile/msa/stagser/s1800/s1883/000000/000017/pdf/msa_s1883_000017.pdf |page = 5 |access-date = December 12, 2014 |archive-date = December 13, 2014 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20141213023035/http://msa.maryland.gov/megafile/msa/stagser/s1800/s1883/000000/000017/pdf/msa_s1883_000017.pdf |url-status = live }}</ref>

Much of the work in building the freeway was completed during the 1970s, with US&nbsp;48 opened from Vocke Road in LaVale to [[Maryland Route 36|MD&nbsp;36]] in [[Frostburg, Maryland|Frostburg]] on October 12, 1973, and to [[Maryland Route 546|MD&nbsp;546]] on November 1, 1974.<ref name=mdrd/><ref name=frb>{{cite news |work = Cumberland News |date = October 13, 1973 |title = New Section of Freeway Now Open |page=8}}</ref> On November 15, 1975, the West Virginia portion and a {{convert|adj=on|14|mi|km}} portion from the West Virginia state line to [[Keysers Ridge, Maryland|Keysers Ridge]] in Maryland opened, followed by the remainder of the freeway in [[Garrett County, Maryland|Garrett County]] on August 13, 1976.<ref name=mdrd/>

In the 1980s, the focus of construction shifted to the east of Cumberland, where a {{convert|19|mi|km|adj=on}} section of the road still had not been completed. The first corridor for the construction to be approved by the [[Maryland State Highway Administration]] (MDSHA) ran south of US&nbsp;40. This corridor would have bypassed towns in eastern Allegany County, such as [[Flintstone, Maryland|Flintstone]], leaving them without access to the freeway, and would have passed directly through [[Green Ridge State Forest]], the largest state forest in Maryland. This proposed corridor provoked strong opposition, largely due to the environmental damage that would be caused by the road construction in Green Ridge State Forest. Environmental groups sued MDSHA in order to halt the planned construction, but the court ruled in favor of the state highway administration. In 1984, however, MDSHA reversed its earlier decision and chose an alignment that closely paralleled US&nbsp;40, passing through Flintstone and to the north of Green Ridge State Forest. Construction on the final section of I-68 began May 25, 1987, and was completed on August 2, 1991.<ref name=mdrd/><ref name=nrr>{{cite book |location = Baltimore |publisher = Johns Hopkins University Press |first1 = Karl |last1 = Raitz |first2 = George |last2 = Thompson |name-list-style=amp |year = 1996 |isbn = 978-0-8018-5155-1 |page = 331 |title = The National Road }}</ref>

===Designation as I-68===
[[File:2021-08-01 17 10 53 View east along Interstate 68 and U.S. Route 40 and north along U.S. Route 219 (National Freeway) from the overpass for Maryland State Route 495 (Bittinger Road) just southwest of Grantsville in Casselman, Garrett County, Maryland.jpg|thumb|left|I-68/US&nbsp;40 eastbound and US&nbsp;219 northbound at MD&nbsp;495 near Grantsville, Maryland]]
Though the National Freeway was designated as US&nbsp;48, as the completion of the freeway neared, the possibility of the freeway being designated as an [[Interstate Highway]] came up. In the 1980s, the project to improve [[U.S. Route 50|US&nbsp;50]] between [[Washington DC]] and [[Annapolis, Maryland|Annapolis]] to [[Interstate Highway standards]] had been assigned the designation of I-68. MDSHA, however, later concluded that adding additional route shields to the US&nbsp;50 freeway would not be helpful to drivers since about half the freeway already had two route designations (US&nbsp;50 and [[U.S. Route 301|US&nbsp;301]]) and drivers on the freeway were already familiar with the US&nbsp;50 designation.<ref name=tunv>{{cite news |work = [[Washington Times]] |first = Ron |last = Shaffer |date = January 12, 1990 |title = Tunnel Visions |page = E1 |url = https://www.proquest.com/docview/307243358 |access-date = July 6, 2017 |archive-date = January 17, 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170117021115/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/washingtonpost/doc/307243358.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Jan+12%2C+1990&author=Shaffer%2C+Ron&pub=The+Washington+Post+%28pre-1997+Fulltext%29&edition=&startpage=e.01&desc=Tunnel+Visions |url-status = live }}</ref> This made the designation to be applied to that freeway more flexible, and so, in 1989, the [[American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials]] (AASHTO), the organization composed of the various state departments of transportation that decides route numbering in the U.S., approved MDSHA's request to renumber the US&nbsp;50 freeway from I-68 to [[Interstate 595 (Maryland)|I-595]].<ref name=aashto19891>{{AASHTO minutes |year= 1989S |link=yes |page= 4 |access-date= January 17, 2009}}</ref> That same year, AASHTO approved changing US&nbsp;48's designation to I-68.<ref name=aashto19891 /><!--<ref name=aashto19892>{{AASHTO minutes |year=1989S |page= 6 |access-date= January 17, 2009}}</ref>--> This change took effect upon the completion of the last section of the National Freeway on August 2, 1991.<ref name=mdrd/>

With the completion of I-68 and the change in its route number, the US&nbsp;48 designation was removed. In 2002, AASHTO approved the establishment of a [[U.S. Route 48|new US&nbsp;48]], this time for the [[Corridor H]] highway from [[Weston, West Virginia]], to [[Strasburg, Virginia]].<ref name=aashto2002>{{AASHTO minutes |year= 2002A |page= 8 |access-date= February 4, 2009}}</ref> This marks the third time that the US&nbsp;48 number has been assigned to a highway, the first use being for [[U.S. Route 48 (1926)|a highway in California]] that existed in the 1920s.<ref name=1926_ush>{{cite map |author1= [[Bureau of Public Roads]] |author2= [[American Association of State Highway Officials]] |date= November 11, 1926 |title= United States System of Highways Adopted for Uniform Marking by the American Association of State Highway Officials |url= https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:United_States_System_of_Highways_Adopted_for_Uniform_Marking_by_the_American_Association_of_State_Highway_Officials.jpg |scale= 1:7,000,000 |location= Washington, DC |publisher= [[United States Geological Survey]] |oclc= 32889555 |access-date= November 7, 2013 |via= [[Wikimedia Commons]] |name-list-style= amp |archive-date= April 13, 2017 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170413153913/https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:United_States_System_of_Highways_Adopted_for_Uniform_Marking_by_the_American_Association_of_State_Highway_Officials.jpg |url-status= live }}</ref>

===Incidents===
Numerous accidents and incidents have occurred on I-68. On June 1, 1991, a gasoline tanker descending into downtown Cumberland from the east attempted to exit the freeway at exit&nbsp;43D, Maryland Avenue. The tanker went out of control and overturned as the driver tried to go around the sharp turn at the exit. Gasoline began to leak from the damaged tanker, forcing the evacuation of a three-block area of Cumberland. Approximately 30&nbsp;minutes later, the tanker exploded, setting eight houses on fire. The fire caused an estimated $250,000 in damages (equivalent to ${{Formatprice|{{Inflation|US-GDP|250000|1991|r=-4}}}} in {{Inflation/year|index=US-GDP}}{{Inflation/fn|index=US-GDP}}) and prompted MDSHA to place signs prohibiting hazardous materials trucks from exiting at the Maryland Avenue exit.<ref name=stl>{{cite news |agency = Associated Press |title = Driver of Overturned Tanker Warns Residents Before Blasts |date = June 2, 1991 |work=St. Louis Post-Dispatch|page=3}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author-link1 = Ruben Castaneda |first1 = Ruben |last1 = Castaneda |newspaper = [[Washington Post]] |date = June 2, 1991 |title = Gasoline Truck Overturns; Leak Ignites 8 Md. Houses; Three-Block Area Evacuated in Cumberland |page = B5 |url = https://www.proquest.com/docview/307444525 |access-date = July 6, 2017 |archive-date = January 17, 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170117020823/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/washingtonpost/doc/307444525.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Jun+2%2C+1991&author=Castaneda%2C+Ruben&pub=The+Washington+Post+%28pre-1997+Fulltext%29&edition=&startpage=b.05&desc=Gasoline+Truck+Overturns%3B+Leak+Ignites+8+Md.+Houses%3B+Three-Block+Area+Evacuated+in+Cumberland |url-status = live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |newspaper = [[The Washington Post]] |date = June 3, 1991 |title = Cumberland Fire Damage |page = D3 |url = https://www.proquest.com/docview/307400909 |access-date = July 6, 2017 |archive-date = January 17, 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170117075223/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/washingtonpost/doc/307400909.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Jun+3%2C+1991&author=&pub=The+Washington+Post+%28pre-1997+Fulltext%29&edition=&startpage=d.03&desc=Cumberland+Fire+Damage |url-status = live }}</ref>

On May 23, 2003, poor visibility due to fog was a major contributing factor to an 85-vehicle [[pileup]] on I-68 on [[Savage Mountain]] west of [[Frostburg, Maryland|Frostburg]]. Two people were killed and nearly 100&nbsp;people were injured. Because of the extent of the wreckage on the road, I-68 remained blocked for 24&nbsp;hours while the wreckage was cleared.<ref name=cnnfog>{{cite news |publisher = [[CNN]] |url = http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/South/05/23/maryland.accidents/index.html?iref=newssearch |date = May 23, 2003 |title = 85-Vehicle Pileup Kills Two in Western Maryland |access-date = January 17, 2009 |archive-date = April 25, 2009 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090425164908/http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/South/05/23/maryland.accidents/index.html?iref=newssearch |url-status = live }}</ref> In the aftermath of the pileup, the question of how to deal with fog in the future was discussed. Though the cost of a fog warning system can be considerable, MDSHA installed such a system in 2005 at a cost of $230,000 (equivalent to ${{Formatprice|{{Inflation|US-GDP|230000|2005|r=-4}}}} in {{Inflation/year|index=US-GDP}}{{Inflation/fn|index=US-GDP}}).<ref name=nytfog>{{cite news |work = [[The New York Times]] |first = Matthew |last = Wald |date = June 18, 2003 |url = https://www.nytimes.com/2003/06/18/us/war-on-road-fog-lacks-easy-solution.html |title = War on Road Fog Lacks Easy Solution |access-date = October 23, 2009 |archive-date = April 3, 2015 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150403092441/http://www.nytimes.com/2003/06/18/us/war-on-road-fog-lacks-easy-solution.html |url-status = live }}</ref><ref name=hagersfog/> The system alerts drivers when visibility drops below {{convert|1000|ft|m}}.<ref name=hagersfog>{{cite news |work = [[The Herald-Mail]] |location = Hagerstown, MD |date = July 3, 2005 |url = http://www.herald-mail.com/?module=displaystory&story_id=115966&format=html |title = Fog Warning System Installed on I-68 |access-date = January 17, 2009 |archive-date = May 23, 2011 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110523235508/http://www.herald-mail.com/?module=displaystory&story_id=115966&format=html |url-status = live }}</ref>

===Effect on surrounding region===
[[File:2021-08-01 18 08 20 View east along Interstate 68 (National Freeway) west of Sand Spring Road in Sand Spring, Garrett County, Maryland.jpg|thumb|right|I-68 eastbound in Garrett County, Maryland, past the West Virginia state line]]
One of the arguments in favor of the construction of I-68 was that the freeway would improve the poor economic conditions in western Maryland. The economy of the surrounding area has improved since the construction of the freeway, especially in [[Garrett County, Maryland|Garrett County]], where the freeway opened up the county to tourism from [[Washington DC]] and [[Baltimore, Maryland|Baltimore]]. Correspondingly, Garrett County saw a sharp increase in population and employment during and after the construction of the road, with full- and part-time employment increasing from 8,868 in 1976 to 15,334 in 1991.<ref name=edh>{{cite web |title = Economic Development History of I-68 in Maryland |publisher = [[Federal Highway Administration]] |first1 = Jason |last1 = Bezis |first2 = Kristin |last2 = Noyes |name-list-style = amp |date = November 5, 2008 |url = http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/Planning/econdev/i68md.htm |access-date = January 17, 2009 |archive-date = December 13, 2012 |archive-url = https://archive.today/20121213053138/http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/Planning/econdev/i68md.htm |url-status = dead }}</ref> Economic difficulties, however, remain in Allegany and Garrett counties.<ref name=washpostecon>{{cite news |newspaper = [[The Washington Post]] |first = Dan |last = Beyers |date = September 8, 1992 |title = Mountain Road of Promise Slow to Lift Fortunes |page = D1 |url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1992/09/08/mountain-road-of-promise-slow-to-lift-fortunes/6336b9cb-7a13-47d3-8ea4-6a374fa41c10/ |access-date = July 22, 2016 |archive-date = August 22, 2016 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160822122437/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1992/09/08/mountain-road-of-promise-slow-to-lift-fortunes/6336b9cb-7a13-47d3-8ea4-6a374fa41c10/ |url-status = live }}</ref> There were concerns over loss of customers to businesses that have been cut off from the main highway due to the construction of the new alignment in the 1980s, leading to protests when then-Governor [[Harry Hughes]] visited the Sideling Hill road cut when it was opened.<ref name=hh>{{cite book |publisher = The History Press |year = 2006 |title = My Unexpected Journey |first = Harry Roe |last = Hughes |isbn = 978-1-59629-117-1 |page = 105 }}</ref>

===Proposed extension===
In the 1990s, there was discussion about a future westward extension to I-68. Such an extension would connect the western terminus of I-68 in Morgantown to [[West Virginia Route 2|WV&nbsp;2]] in [[Moundsville, West Virginia|Moundsville]]. A 1989 proposal had suggested a toll road be built along this corridor.<ref name=cgzmnd>{{cite news |work = [[Charleston Gazette]] |first = Rick |last = Steelhammer |date = November 28, 2000 |title = I-68 Extension Hearings to be Next Week |page=2A}}</ref> In 2003, the [[Federal Highway Administration]] (FHWA) approved the extension, paving the way for federal funding and for the road to become part of the [[National Highway System (United States)|National Highway System]] on completion.<ref name=wvdotmnd>{{cite press release |publisher = [[West Virginia Department of Transportation]] |first = Carol |last = Melling |date = October 31, 2003 |title = I-68 Extension Now Eligible for Federal Funding |url = http://www.wvdot.com/13_news/13_news_dtl.cfm?s=456 |access-date = January 17, 2009 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090523140013/http://www.wvdot.com/13_news/13_news_dtl.cfm?s=456 |archive-date = May 23, 2009 }}</ref> The project, however, ran into problems due to lack of funds, and, in 2008, West Virginia Governor [[Joe Manchin]] suggested dropping the project altogether, making construction of a westward extension of I-68 unlikely in the near future.<ref name=wnrmnd>{{cite news |work = [[Wheeling News-Register]] |first = Art |last = Limann |date = August 12, 2008 |title = Authority Won't Give Up on I-68 to Marshall |url = http://www.news-register.net/page/content.detail/id/512794.html |access-date = January 17, 2009 |archive-date = July 16, 2011 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110716100038/http://www.news-register.net/page/content.detail/id/512794.html |url-status = dead }}</ref>

In 2014, [[Marshall County, West Virginia|Marshall County]] officials brought the extension of I-68 up again as a way for oil companies to have easier access to drill into the area, likely by [[fracking]]. Much like the second leg of [[Pennsylvania Route 576|PA&nbsp;576]] (Southern Beltway) in the [[Pittsburgh]] area, an extension of I-68 is being spurred in response to the [[Marcellus natural gas trend]]. If the extension were to be built, it would also include a widening of WV&nbsp;2 to four lanes and would cost an estimated $5&nbsp;million per mile ({{convert|5|e6$/mi|e6$/km|abbr=unit|disp=output number only}}/km). It is expected that the project would be divided into two legs, first from Morgantown to [[Cameron, West Virginia|Cameron]] and then Cameron to Moundsville.<ref>{{cite news |first = Nate |last = Fluharty |url = http://www.wtrf.com/story/26539668/plans-moving-forward-for-moundsville-to-morgantown-highway |title = Plans Moving Forward for Moundsville-to-Morgantown Highway |location = Wheeling, WV |publisher = [[WTRF-TV]] |date = September 15, 2014 |access-date = September 16, 2014 |archive-date = September 16, 2014 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140916132409/http://www.wtrf.com/story/26539668/plans-moving-forward-for-moundsville-to-morgantown-highway |url-status = live }}</ref>

Others have proposed extending I-68 to [[Wheeling, West Virginia]], and connecting it with [[Interstate 470 (Ohio–West Virginia)|I-470]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Swint |first=Howard |date=October 5, 2019 |title=Howard Swint: I-68 extension lynch pin for W.Va. development |url=https://www.wvgazettemail.com/opinion/op_ed_commentaries/howard-swint-i-68-extension-lynch-pin-for-w-va-development/article_b2d17136-b2fb-5923-89e2-21d30a1169fb.html |access-date=March 26, 2022 |website=Charleston Gazette-Mail |language=en |archive-date=June 9, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210609043919/https://www.wvgazettemail.com/opinion/op_ed_commentaries/howard-swint-i-68-extension-lynch-pin-for-w-va-development/article_b2d17136-b2fb-5923-89e2-21d30a1169fb.html |url-status=live }}</ref>