Plans For DOH Stimulus Money

MetroNews, February 9, 2009

The state Division of Highways could receive as much as $245 million from the federal economic stimulus package. State Highway Engineer Marvin Murphy told state lawmakers Monday most of the money would be used for highway preservation work. "About 60 percent of it is in preservation work," he said. "Things we need to take care of that get delayed each year."

The projects will include bridge cleaning and painting, paving and repaving work. Murphy says the amount the DOH expects to receive is about the same amount it gets annually from the federal government for this type of work. "It will help us a lot, but it certainly won't take care of everything," he said.

The DOH won't have to come up with matching money, but Murphy says there is a requirement that most of the work will have be done on federal highways in West Virginia, including interstates and U.S. routes. He says some of the money will used on bridge projects on state highways.

The package also includes a $30 million project for Corridor H, constructing a section of the highway in Grant County from Mount Storm to state Route 93.