Virginia Mountaineer
Regional Effort, Years in the Making, Results in the Construction of Six New Cellular Towers in Buchanan and Tazewell Counties
GRUNDY, Va. – The successful completion of a years-long effort to deploy wireless coverage along an unserved 20-mile section of U.S. Hwy. 460 in Buchanan and Tazewell counties was celebrated on Friday by local, state and federal officials who lauded the project’s delivery of 21st-century telecommunications infrastructure between the towns of Richlands and Grundy.
The $4.4 million project, made possible by a combination of public and private investment, resulted in the construction of six new towers along U.S. Hwy. 460, complementing the prior development of existing towers at Oakwood and Vansant, creating an eight-tower wireless ring intended to deliver uninterrupted cellular connectivity along the highway corridor.
The regional effort, launched by the Virginia Coalfield Coalition and managed by the Cumberland Plateau Planning District Commission, was conceptualized with the goal of eliminating one of the region’s lingering economic development marketing hurdles – a 20-mile cellular “dead zone” that existed between the two counties. The project was engineered according to private carrier specifications to deliver cellular coverage to the highway corridor and its vehicular traffic.
Following Friday’s planned event to celebrate the project’s completion at the offices of Noah Horn Well Drilling near Grundy, federal representatives underscored the importance of strategic public resources for coal-impacted communities and their ongoing economic and community development efforts.
“This project will help close the coverage gap along Route 460 and boost the local economy, attracting businesses and helping schools, homeowners, and commuters,” U.S. Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) said. “These cell towers will help link Virginians to one another, the country, the world, and its endless possibilities.”
“Dependable cell service and internet access aren’t luxuries; they’re necessary for economic growth, public safety, and connection,” said U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA). “I’m excited that these new towers will bring cellular coverage to parts of Buchanan and Tazewell counties. I’m proud that this project received federal funding through the Appalachian Regional Commission and AMLER program that I’ve long supported. I look forward to continuing to work together with local partners to upgrade infrastructure in communities across Virginia.”
The VCC is a seven-county and one-city partnership organization spanning the entirety of Virginia’s coalfields region. Its work is a collaborative effort between the LENOWISCO and Cumberland Plateau planning districts. In conjunction with private carrier partners, the VCC previously developed 12 cellular towers across the coalfields, and has provided fiber backhaul service to a dozen other non-VCC owned towers. With cooperation from private partners, the VCC’s development model helps to incentivize carriers to participate in wireless projects in areas where there’s little business justification for the companies to make private investments.
A variety of public and private funders supported the development of the VCC’s six newest towers, including grant awards from the Virginia Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission ($1.4 million), Virginia Energy’s Abandoned Mine Land Economic Revitalization Program ($1.1 million), Appalachian Regional Commission’s POWER program ($1 million), Thompson Charitable Foundation ($250,000), the Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority ($249,017) and the Virginia Coalfield Coalition ($418,568), with additional land use support provided by CNX Gas Co., LLC.
“As someone who travels throughout the more than 10,000 square miles of Virginia’s Ninth Congressional District, I am no stranger to ‘dead zones’ that limit cell phone connectivity,” Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-VA-09) noted. “Thanks to the help of local officials, one such ‘dead zone’ poses less trouble to Buchanan and Tazewell Counties. The construction of six new cell towers along US-460 will improve mobile communication access, deliver more opportunity prospects and support growth in the coalfields region.”
The project was viewed as vital from an economic development standpoint due to the highway’s proximity to two of the region’s most notable industrial parks – Southern Gap Business Park in Buchanan County and the Bluestone Technology Park in Tazewell County. Area state representatives acknowledged the impact the project will ultimately have on regional economic development efforts as well as marketing strategies centered on regional industrial recruitment activities.
“Reliable infrastructure is the foundation for opportunity,” Sen. Todd Pillion (R-District 6) said. “This project removes a major barrier for Southwest Virginia and strengthens the connection between our communities, our workforce, and our future. I’m proud to have helped bring this investment together and deliver a project that will make a real difference for the people of this region.”
“Establishing cellular coverage along U.S 460 has been several years in the making but well worth the wait,” Sen. Travis Hackworth (R-District 5) said. “I commend all the funding partners who worked on this vital economic development project to make it a reality.”
“I am very excited about this project,” Del. Will Morefield (R-District 43) said. “I commend all of those who have been working on it. Personally, I am glad that I was able to help garner the necessary support from the Tobacco Commission for the towers. As chairman of the Commission, I have made it a priority to focus on needed communication infrastructure for Southwest and Southern Virginia. This cell tower project will enhance the quality of life for those living along and traveling on 460, as well as open up new opportunities for economic development; additionally, it will increase safety in the area for citizens and become a valuable tool for law enforcement. This is a major step forward. Again, I am proud that I was able to support it in my role on the AMLER committee, as well as the Tobacco Commission.”
Although the VCC partnered with a single private wireless carrier to initiate the project, all towers owned and operated by the coalition, including the six new towers built along U.S. Hwy. 460, are designed to support shared infrastructure, with space for multiple co-location antennas on each tower. The VCC has also assisted in the enhancement of public safety networks by providing space on certain towers within the coalfields to improve wireless communications for non-commercial purposes.
While multiple towers in the project area are already on-air and operational, all six new towers are anticipated to be active by mid-October.
“This new infrastructure addresses a critical need for our holistic economic development efforts, as well as our overall quality of life in the coalfields,” CPPDC Executive Director Scotty Wampler, who also serves as VCC Co-Executive Director, said. “We have worked diligently for many years to make the Highway 460 project a reality, and we’re thrilled to finally see it come to fruition.”
“This project is a terrific example of regional collaboration, and one that will positively impact the local economy in incredibly meaningful ways,” VCC Board Chair David Eaton said. “We are very grateful for the resources provided to the VCC to bring this project to life.”
The VCC serves the Virginia coalfield counties of Buchanan, Dickenson, Lee, Russell, Scott, Tazewell and Wise, as well as the City of Norton.
