NITRO, WV – Gov. Jim Justice joined leaders with the West Virginia Department of Transportation and other local officials today for a ceremony to kick off another major road project in Kanawha County, funded through the Governor’s Roads To Prosperity program.
“It’s a beautiful day in West Virginia and a beautiful day in Nitro,” Gov. Justice said. “We’re announcing a project that’s really going to help this entire community.”
The highly anticipated Purchase Order Paving project calls for the paving of more than two miles of roadway through the heart of the city of Nitro, providing more than 12,000 motorists per day easy access to the many local businesses on this major corridor of commerce.
“I could never be more proud. We’re doing paving right in your back door and we’re putting in a gigantic new bridge,” Gov. Justice said, referring to the I-64 Nitro/St. Albans Bridge – another major project underway nearby, made possible thanks to the Roads To Prosperity program.
“This community deserves this day,” Gov. Justice continued. “You came out and voted overwhelmingly in favor of Roads To Prosperity and off we went. Now, not only have we fixed roads all over Kingdom Come, we’re seeing surplus after surplus, we’ve given pay raises to our teachers, and we’ve been able to help our Veterans.
“Absolutely, we’re on our way to more and more goodness for West Virginia.”
The project spans 2.2 miles along WV 25, beginning 0.71 miles east of the junction of CO 25/1 and continuing to 0.16 miles north of the Interstate 64 overpass. Work on 1st Avenue will include milling and a 1.5” skid pavement course.
Crews will begin work as soon as next week and will wrap up before the end of the month.
The cost of the project is $820,000 and is being funded by General Obligation Bond 2 and 3 Bond Funds as part of the Roads To Prosperity program.
The Governor was joined by West Virginia Department of Transportation Secretary Byrd White, Deputy Secretary Jimmy Wriston, and Nitro Mayor Dave Casebolt for the announcement.
“There’s been a lot of people who have put a lot of licks in,” Secretary White said. “But none of these licks would have been possible without our Governor and his vision for the prosperity of West Virginia.”
“The Roads To Prosperity vision that the Governor had nearly four years ago has really come to fruition on projects like this all over the state,” Deputy Secretary Wriston said. “The paving of this major thruway is a very much needed project and will be helpful for the growth of Nitro. Now that we’re here, we will have a pavement that will last for years and years to come.”
“It’s a great day to be a Nitroan,” Mayor Casebolt said. “This has been something we’ve been looking forward to for a long time. Now, not only are we getting a new bridge, we’re also getting 2.2 miles of new road. It’s just going to help bring in more and more investment.
“Governor, I’ll tell you what, you’ve made everybody in Nitro very happy today; no ifs, ands, or buts about it,” Mayor Casebolt continued.
Over $1 billion-worth of major infrastructure improvement projects through Gov. Justice’s Roads To Prosperity program have either been completed to date or are currently underway.
Since January 2020, crews in Division of Highways District 1 – which includes Nitro – have ditched more than 930 miles, patched 1,600 miles, stabilized 502 miles, paved almost 63 miles, and repaired 12 slides.
With work zones in all 55 counties across the state, the West Virginia Division of Highways reminds drivers, “Heads up; phones down!” to keep WVDOH workers and other motorists safe.
