Governor Jim Justice announced today that the last 14.6-mile section of US Route 35 will open to traffic on Thursday, Nov. 11, 2021, after a special ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially mark the opening of the road.
The event, held on Veterans Day, will also pay tribute to all Veterans and their families in honor of their sacrifice.
WHO: Gov. Jim Justice, local, state, and federal officials. Local high school bands will perform ceremonial music.
WHAT: Official ribbon-cutting ceremony for US Route 35 from the Buffalo Bridge to one mile north of County Route 40 in Mason County.
WHEN: Thursday, November 11, 2021, at 11:30 a.m.
WHERE: US Route 35
38°34'43.0"N 82°00'57.9"W
All attendees MUST enter at the south entrance to the new section of US Route 35 near the turn before the Buffalo Bridge. Access from all other points, including the north end of the new section of US Route 35, will be prohibited.
Signs and law enforcement will direct attendees to the event site.
Immediately following the ribbon-cutting, Gov. Justice will lead a parade of vehicles along the new highway all the way to Point Pleasant, then back to Buffalo. All attendees are welcome to join.
This celebration will be live streamed at the links below.
The event will also be broadcast on West Virginia Public Broadcasting's West Virginia Channel.
Find your station here.
This major Roads to Prosperity project allows travelers to drive on smooth, four-lane pavement for 37 consecutive miles beginning at the Interstate 64 exit at Scott Depot and continuing straight through to Point Pleasant and the Ohio state line.
Completion of the massive project was made possible through Gov. Justice’s $2.8 billion Roads to Prosperity highway construction and maintenance program. The program, addressing roads and bridges all over the Mountain State, is the most aggressive highway construction program in West Virginia history.
The final 14.6-mile section of US Route 35 cost approximately $257 million. The project included 10 new bridges and a new interchange where US Route 35 meets WV 869.
The project required a completely new alignment for the highway. Work crews moved approximately 16.8 million cubic yards of earth, laid more than 73,000 tons of asphalt, and put in more than 38,000 feet of drainage pipe for the project.
Greg Bailey, P.E.
Deputy State Highway Engineer
Route 35 - The final 14.6 miles