At last, the W.Va. 2-Interstate 68 Authority, which has pleaded for years for more money for highways important to our area, is getting some attention in the Legislature. Unfortunately, there isn’t any cash attached to that.
A bill moving through the Legislature would expand the Authority, which now includes representatives of Brooke, Hancock, Ohio, Marshall, Wetzel, Tyler, Pleasants, Wood, Marion and Monongalia counties. If the bill passes, the authority will expand to include Cabell, Mason and Jackson counties.
Obviously, that makes sense simply because W.Va. 2 affects the three counties to be added. And it is possible that the addition will give the Authority more political clout.
But if history is any indication, the Authority will need all the clout it can get. Efforts to obtain state funding needed to make the substantial improvements needed on W.Va. 2 have yielded limited success for several years.
West Virginians served by W.Va. understand that the state has little funding available for major highway improvements. But they also wonder whether the Ohio Valley is getting its fair share of what is available.
Instead of merely adding to the list of counties seeking funds for W.Va. 2, lawmakers ought to be finding more money for the work.
