CHARLESTON, WV – Gov. Jim Justice and the West Virginia Department of Transportation (WVDOT) announced recently that roadways continue to be paved this summer under a $150 million supplemental budget appropriation.
Gov. Justice discussed the projects during his latest briefing.
On Thursday, May 30, 2024, Gov. Jim Justice signed Senate Bill 1002, surrounded by Transportation Secretary Jimmy Wriston, P.E., and West Virginia Division of Highways (WVDOH) workers, giving the WVDOH the funding to move forward with another round of paving projects all across the state.
“The WVDOH is excited for the opportunity to provide resurfacing of the roadways selected as part of the program,” said Joe Pack, P.E., Chief Engineer of Operations. “Our crews are able and willing to step in and perform the resurfacing in conjunction with the paving industry.”
In the north central portion of West Virginia, 1.73 miles of US 119 through Grafton has been paved; nearly a mile of WV 705, 201st INF/FA Memorial Highway, in Monongalia County is being paved; and 2.49 miles of US 50 in Taylor County is being paved. Those projects are among more than 75 projects in the District 4 counties of Doddridge, Harrison, Marion, Monongalia, Preston and Taylor paid for by the surplus funding.
There are 66 paving projects covered with the surplus funding in the western and northern portion of the state including Calhoun, Jackson, Pleasants, Ritchie, Roane, Wirt, and Wood, and Brooke, Hancock, Marshall, Ohio, Tyler, and Wetzel counties. Larkmead Road in Wood County is currently being paved and Jones Ridge in Roane County and Left Fork Rock Run Road in Pleasants County paving projects are completed.
In the Kanawha Valley, there are 139 paving projects covered by the funding in the counties of Boone, Clay, Kanawha, Mason, Putnam, Cabell, Lincoln, Logan, Mingo, and Wayne, including the ongoing paving of WV 10 in Logan County, from Stollings to Melville. Eighteen paving projects are completed in WVDOH District 2 including 3.24 miles of R. A. West Highway in Mingo County; 2.02 miles of WV 37, from Klashville to Cove Gap in Wayne County; and 1.61 miles of WV 34, from Big Creek to Bowles in Lincoln County.
Forty-six resurfacing projects are paid for with funding in the eastern panhandle counties of Berkeley, Grant, Hampshire, Hardy, Jefferson, Mineral, and Morgan.
In the eastern portion of West Virginia, there are 102 paving projects paid for between Barbour, Braxton, Gilmer, Lewis, Upshur, Webster, Pendleton, Pocahontas, Randolph, Tucker, Fayette, Greenbrier, Monroe, Nicholas, and Summers counties. There are more than 140 paving projects scheduled in McDowell, Mercer, Raleigh, and Wyoming counties.
“Our shared goal is to accomplish as much of the work in an expedited manner so that our road users get to experience the improvements as soon as possible,” Pack said. “Resurfacing of a roadway is a vital part of the life cycle of our roadways and provides a smooth and structurally sound driving surface.”
In all, this year’s supplemental budget appropriation will pay for 499 paving projects on more than 973 miles of road that aren’t covered by federal highway funds. The special funding is on top of approximately $190 million in federal highway funds.
With work continuing in all 55 counties across the state, the West Virginia Division of Highways and the West Virginia Department of Transportation remind the public of the importance of keeping everyone safe in work zones by keeping “Heads up; phones down!”
