Washington, DC –U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV), member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced $18,880,000 for eight West Virginia highway projects. The awards are made possible by Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) requests secured by Senator Manchin and are funded through the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT).
“West Virginia’s infrastructure plays a critical role in our state’s economy, which is why improving, modernizing, and expanding our roads, bridges and highways continues to be one of my top priorities,” said Senator Manchin. “I proudly secured this funding to support eight critical highway projects across our great state, which will boost local tourism, spur economic development and promote safe and secure travel for all West Virginians. As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I will continue advocating for resources, including CDS funding, to improve our roads and bridges as we address the infrastructure needs of the Mountain State.”
Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS), also known as earmarks, allow state and local governments, non-profits, and other public entities to apply for targeted funding for projects to bolster their communities and directly support West Virginians. These local communities and organizations are now beginning to receive funding for projects that Senator Manchin fought for in last year’s funding bill. As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Manchin works to ensure taxpayer dollars are allocated to priorities that benefit all West Virginians, boost economic growth and support the needs of communities across the Mountain State while remaining fiscally responsible.
Individual awards listed below:
- $5,000,000 – Corridor H: To complete Corridor H.
- $5,000,000 – King Coal Highway: Funds the King Coal Highway Gilbert Creek Connector to connect the community of Gilbert, which has battled transportation connectivity and reliability issues for decades.
- $2,000,000 – I-79 Exit 155: Repairs and rehabilitates I-79 Exit 155, which serves as the primary vehicular connection from Interstate-79 and Morgantown, Star City, Granville and West Virginia University.
- $1,750,000 – Huntington Welcome Center I-64 Exit 8: Constructs the new Appalachian Heartland Welcome Center at the interchange of Interstate-64 and WV State Route-152 at Exit 8 in Huntington.
- $1,500,000 – Coalfields Expressway: Funds the construction of pavement for approximately 1/4 mile of the Coalfields Expressway.
- $1,500,000 – Weirton WV-2, Weirton Frontier Crossing: Constructs a new roadway from West Virginia State Route 2 to access Weirton’s Frontier Crossing project, a newly developed brownfield area at the former Weirton Steel site.
- $1,400,000 – Charles Town Augustine Trail & Connectivity Project: Completes construction on the 1.9-mile Augustine Trail pedestrian and bicycle trail facility on Old Route 340 (also known as Augustine Avenue) and upgrades approximately 8,000 linear feet of sidewalks in the downtown area for better connectivity and access in Charles Town.
- $730,000 – Second Interchange at I-70 Phase I: Funds the design and feasibility study for Phase I of a new, second interchange at Interstate-70 in Ohio County.
This funding is now available to the West Virginia Department of Transportation, which will then determine when the project is ready to move forward and seek project authorization from the Federal Highways Administration (FHWA).
