West Virginia Secretary of Transportation Paul Mattox would like to extend his gratitude to all state citizens for their patience during these recent extraordinary winter storm events. He is especially appreciative of Highways workers for their efforts, around the clock, battling what Mother Nature has dropped on the state.
“I am really pleased with the efforts of our Highways crews during such a severe event, so severe, in fact, that it closed schools in every West Virginia County for the first time in 23 years,” stated Secretary Mattox. “With the resources we had, men and women working 12-16 hour shifts, and the equipment available to our forces, I am confident we met our mission of providing safety to the traveling public. While our roads were not always bare pavement, our priority-one routes were open and not once were they closed due to the storm.” The Secretary continued. “I am also very excited with the partnerships that have formed between Highways, Office of Emergency Services, the West Virginia National Guard and the Division of Forestry. The communication, coordination and planning between all the major stakeholders gives me the confidence that with every passing storm, we will continue to discuss what went right, what can be done differently, and continue to work together to make sure West Virginia roads are the safest in the nation.”