With 14 miles of the Coalfields Expressway in Buchanan County expected to be completed by next year, officials from Virginia and West Virginia are looking at ways the two states can work together to move the long-awaited highway project forward.
Members of the Virginia Coalfields Expressway Authority met with representatives of the Virginia Department of Transportation and West Virginia Department of Transportation on Aug. 31 in Princeton to discuss the project’s status in both states, funding challenges and opportunities for collaboration.
The Coalfields Expressway, designated as U.S. Route 121, is envisioned as a limited-access highway connecting communities throughout the coalfields of Southwest Virginia and southern West Virginia.
For Buchanan County, the project has been in the works for decades.
Virginia Coalfields Expressway Authority Executive Director Jonathan Belcher told those attending the meeting that 14 miles of U.S. 121 and U.S. 460 in Buchanan County are expected to be completed by next year. However, approximately 42 miles of the remaining U.S. 121 corridor in Virginia are currently unfunded.
“The overall project has long been a priority for local leaders and state and federal officials who recognize its importance to the region’s economic future,” Belcher said.
The highway is intended to provide a safer and more efficient transportation route through the coalfields while opening additional opportunities for economic development, tourism and access to industrial sites.
When completed, the route would connect with Interstates 64 and 77 in West Virginia, U.S. Route 460 in Kentucky and ultimately U.S. Route 23 in Pound.
Belcher said the project has faced several challenges over the years, particularly funding shortages and the complexities of developing a major highway that crosses state lines.
In West Virginia, approximately 18 miles of the Coalfields Expressway have been constructed and opened between Mullens and the Sophia area near Beckley.
West Virginia Deputy State Highway Engineer Ed Compton said his state’s construction efforts have focused on connecting Welch to Beckley. The segments that would eventually connect Virginia with the Welch area are not currently included in West Virginia’s upcoming Statewide Transportation Improvement Program for the expressway.
Both states have largely moved the massive highway project forward one section at a time as money becomes available.
“Our success in Virginia has come from piecemeal appropriations and strong advocacy from local legislators and CDS funding,” Belcher said, referring to congressionally directed spending.
Compton said West Virginia has faced a similar situation, completing individual portions as funding becomes available.
“It’s a generational project,” Compton said, noting that construction on portions of the highway in West Virginia has been taking place for three decades.
James Keen, a member of the Virginia Coalfields Expressway Authority board and former member of Virginia’s state transportation board, suggested that a study could be needed to examine how statewide transportation funding guidelines affect rural communities.
Officials also briefly discussed whether coal synergy projects could help advance construction.
Del. Will Morefield, who attended the meeting, said he would investigate a federal conduit bond program he recently learned about that could allow a governor to earmark funds for specific projects. Morefield said he would share what he learns with Virginia and West Virginia officials.
Another potential source of future funding involves the Appalachian Development Highway System.
Belcher said the Virginia Coalfields Expressway Authority has been working with members of Virginia’s congressional delegation to add more Coalfields Expressway mileage to the federal highway system.
A portion of the roadway overlapping U.S. 460 already carries the designation, but most of the Coalfields Expressway does not.
A bill has been drafted that would add the additional mileage and is expected to be submitted to Congress at an appropriate time. The designation would make the roadway eligible for Appalachian Regional Commission funding.
Belcher also said Virginia would explore opportunities to partner with West Virginia when seeking federal transportation grants. A joint application involving both states, he said, could potentially strengthen the project’s chances of receiving funding.
“The benefit of the highway is connection, and it makes sense for us to work together,” Belcher said. “Any way we can, we will work with you. It will benefit all of us.”
Also attending from Virginia was Shane Clem from the office of U.S. Sen. Mark Warner.
Virginia Coalfields Expressway Authority board members attending included Keen; Chris Hall of Dickenson County; and Ed Talbott and Philip Cook of Buchanan County. VDOT representatives Tabitha Crowder and Marty Halloway also attended.
West Virginia representatives included Compton, Nathan Thomas, Bill Murray, Josh Howell and Jonathan Schaffer. Dave Cramer of Michael Baker International also attended.
West Virginia Secretary of Transportation and Commissioner of Highways Todd Rumbaugh and state Highway Engineer Jacob Bumgarner participated virtually.
The Virginia General Assembly created the Virginia Coalfields Expressway Authority in 2017 to improve transportation in Southwest Virginia, support regional economic development and improve highway safety.
The Coalfields Expressway is designated as a congressional high-priority corridor and is planned as a modern transportation artery through the coalfields of Southwest Virginia and southern West Virginia.
