Four lanes for Route 2. It's an idea that's been discussed for years.

Monday night, in Moundsville, a public meeting was held to discuss the possibility the highway could eventually be expanded.

Thanks partly to its two-lane construction, there are a lot of vehicles which use West Virginia Route 2.

"Everywhere there's four lanes," says Debbie Brady, "it's more convienent for the amount of traffic that's on the highways."

"We have bigger vehicles now, with the S.U.V.'s and all," says Stephanie Poling, "and there's so much traffic when you're traveling on a two-lane road."

But while to many, it's a safety issue, for the past several years, there has been economic development along Route 2 in Pleasants County. And there's talk about more to come.

"They're going to bring in a bunch in to work," says Mary Lou Weekley, "but it's going to be for four years, and it's going to be bumper to bumper."

While much of West Virginia 2 is rural, there are communities such as Belmont with homes that are just a few feet from the roadway.

Among those who live in those homes is Harold Carl, a former Pleasants County school official. He believes there could be a way the road could be routed around the neighborhood.

"And one of the major plans in the Belmont area was to take the road around the Harrisburg side, around Belmont," Carl says. "I believe that would be as economical to the state as it would be to purchase land from all the homes."

It took nearly 40 years for the local part of Corridor D to become reality. In spite of recent discussion, because of its nearly 90-mile length, Route 2 could potentially take longer.

Monday night's meeting was held by the Route 2 and Interstate 68 Authority, which was created to promote the construction of modern highways in West Virginia's northern counties.

And last week, Wheeling City Council unanimously endorsed the idea of expanding Route 2.