West Virginia: Coalfields Expressway

A Road to Renaissance in West Virginia 

Challenge: The roads in West Virginia’s southern coal fields are like most in Appalachia; winding, two-lane rural roads with steep slopes, sharp turns, and limited views of what lies ahead. They are also narrow – usually only 18 feet to 24 feet wide – with shoulder widths of two feet or less. Driveways dot the routes, making highway entry and exit dangerous for residents. A high percentage of “No Passing” zones and areas of reduced speed through communities affect travel time and cost of transporting commodities to and from the region. 

Solution: With help from the bipartisan infrastructure investment law, the West Virginia Department of Transportation is building a safer, more efficient alternative. The new Coalfields Expressway will provide a much-needed, multi-lane highway. It will eventually span 65-miles into Virginia, connecting with highways systems on the Kentucky border. The Expressway will not only better serve the ever-important coal industry, but will also promote new economic opportunities, bringing more tourists to the Mountain State’s many recreational parks. 

What they’re saying: “We need it done to where those folks in counties that are so beautiful across the charts—but those folks need to be brought into all of this goodness that is going on all across our state not. I am trying every single way in the world that I possibly can to move the Coalfields Expressway as far down the road as I possibly, possibly can before I leave office.” West Virginia Governor Jim Justice (Metro News, 05/13/2022)