CHARLESTON, WV – West Virginia Division of Highways has already completed dozens of projects statewide from the $150 million in funding, requested by Governor Jim Justice and approved by the state Legislature.
In June, Gov. Jim Justice called a special session of the West Virginia Legislature to approve $150 million in additional funding for state highway, bridge and repair projects. Lawmakers agreed, allowing WVDOH to tackle paving, road repair, bridge and slide projects in every part of West Virginia.
In District 1, paving projects have been completed in two of Corridor G’s busiest shopping centers. Road crews have finished up a $345,000 paving project on RHL Boulevard in Dudley Farms Plaza, and another $285,000 paving project in Southridge Center. Another $200,000 project paid for with the legislative funding paved Georges Creek and side roads in Kanawha County.
In District 2, the extra funding paid for a $390,000 paving project in Fort Gay in Wayne County, a $660,000 paving project on WV 17 in Logan County and a $420,000 slip repair on WV 10 in Cabell County.
In District 4, funding approved by the Legislature included repairing three separate slides on WV 18 in Doddridge County, for a total of $845,000; a 3.65-mile paving project on Gregory’s Run in Harrison County, with a price tag of $370,000; and a $430,000 paving project on Pleasant Valley Road in Marion County.
In District 10, the money has allowed road crews to repave vital roads in and around the city of Beckley sooner than might otherwise be possible. “This funding allows the Division of Highways to expedite the completion of much-needed resurfacing projects, which will in turn allow the DOH to address the resurfacing roads of lesser average daily traffic more quickly,” said District 10 Engineer Joe Pack.
Projects completed so far with the supplemental funding include paving almost two miles of the East Beckley Bypass, for a cost of $675,000; paving nearly three miles of Eisenhower Drive, for a cost of $1 million; and paving 1.43 miles of Robert C. Byrd Drive, with a price tag of $500,000.
Projects expected to be completed in September include a $1.64 million repaving project to pave 4.6 miles of the Coalfields Expressway and a $235,000 project to pave nearly two miles of Ragland Road.
Funding approved by the Legislature in June is going to projects all over the Mountain State.