West Virginia has made tremendous strides in the past 20 years on its highway system. Many of the Appalachian Corridor highways have been completed in different regions of the state, and work continues on the remaining segments.
However, a recent report from the West Virginia Department of Transportation shows that the Mountain State still has a long way to go in addressing all of its highway needs – both in maintaining and expanding the current system, but also in building additional highways. The list of highway projects proposed for the state amounts to billions and billions of dollars.
- West Virginia has responsibility for more than 36,700 miles of highways criss-crossing the state.
- West Virginia ranks second to last in capital investment per state-maintained highway mile, spending roughly $7,574 per lane mile compared with the national average of $23,967.
- While West Virginia will be receiving additional federal highway funds in the coming year, to match for these new federal funds, West Virginia must generate approximately $12 million annually.
- According to the state Division of Highways, West Virginia needs to find an extra $350 million a year for the division to keep pace with needed highway construction and maintenance demands.
