DOH: Road repairs big part of stimulus
The Register-Herald, Feb. 18, 2009
With President Barack Obama’s signing of a $787 billion plan to resuscitate the economy, state officials are now looking at how to spend the money. “I can tell you that the majority of funding the state Division of Highways receives in this plan will be used for preservation, maintenance and repairs of our existing highways,” said Brent Walker, spokesman for the DOH in Charleston. Walker said that consists of paving projects, bridge repairs and slip-and-slide repairs to the state’s existing highways and roadways.
The latest estimate of funding shares suggests West Virginia can expect $1.38 billion. Highway and bridge projects would get the largest portion of that, about 16.5 percent, according to The Associated Press. Gov. Joe Manchin is still waiting for specifics on how the money can be spent. The House of Delegates is forming a special committee to oversee the funding process, the AP reported Tuesday.
Walker says the state has a “working list” of shovel-ready projects, which were taken from the state’s Statewide Transportation Improvement Program. “This is not a formal list,” Walker explained. “It’s potential projects that fit the shovel-ready criteria.”
Key to the funded projects is being ready to go within 90 days, Walker explained. On that list is the first phase of Raleigh County’s Z-way project as well as other shovel-ready projects in the southern part of the state.
Bill Baker, president of the Beckley-Raleigh County Transportation Authority, says Manchin informed him that the East Beckley bypass project, which is part of the Z-Way plan, is on the state’s 90-day stimulus package request list. “This is excellent news because it means a section of the Z-Way could be under construction by spring,” Baker said. “West Virginia Transportation Secretary Paul Mattox also confirmed this in a telephone conversation.”
Baker says the first segment of the proposed Z-Way plan calls for completion of the bypass. “This makes sense since it was already designed,” Baker said. “My understanding is this would complete the bypass, including the bridge across the gorge and extends the bypass and to tie the bypass into Route 41 (Stanaford Road).”
The bypass is designed up to Ragland Road. However, extension of the bypass to Ragland Road is not ready because some commercial properties have to be acquired and officials have to give time for those businesses to relocate, Baker added. “This would take longer than the stimulus funds would allow,” he said
Walker insists no final decisions have been made. “We aren’t even sure how much West Virginia is going to get,” he said. “Those saying that final decisions have been made on projects are not correct. No final decisions have been made regarding what road projects to spend this funding on.”
Walker says after the governor announces what the economic recovery plan contains for West Virginia, a formal list of projects will be made public. “I am sure the funding will be spread out fairly between the state’s congressional districts,” Walker added.
Rep. Nick Rahall, D-W.Va., serves as vice chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. “The state, under this bill, will allocate stimulus funds to various projects and needs. Southern West Virginia has many highway projects ready to go that deserve the state’s attention,” Rahall said.