Anyone who has heard me speak about my goals for West Virginia’s future no doubt has learned that we’ve placed a priority on building our state’s infrastructure. If we expect to attract world-class private industry and jobs, we must provide the necessary infrastructure – from public water and sewer to roads and Internet access – that allows businesses and communities to grow.
Our highways and byways are a crucial part of our infrastructure. West Virginia’s roadways open our communities to visitors and to opportunity. Building new roads and maintaining existing ones is a major challenge in a state that has such rugged terrain. From a state government standpoint here, it’s even more of a challenge because the state of West Virginia maintains a larger percentage of the roads in the state than just about any other state.
I’m proud to say that for this calendar year (2008), the Division of Highways will be spending about $140 million on state-funded contract paving that will cover more than 1,000 road miles in all 10 highway districts. Where possible when paving, we’re also widening the shoulders of our roads as an added safety feature for motorists and, in some instances, pedestrians and bicycle traffic who may also be sharing the road.
Under the CORE Maintenance Plan, all 55 counties and expressway organizations continue to carry out routine maintenance, including patching, mowing and litter control. And, we’re also using prison labor for litter control that has proven to be a great benefit for the Division of Highways and for our citizens. Our scenic roadways are cleaner and more attractive because of this program.
As a motorcyclist, I especially appreciate the work that we’re seeing from a new piece of equipment that is helping us to repair potholes caused by seasonal temperature changes. The skid-steer machine we’ve just recently employed provides better permanent patching in less time than methods we’ve used in the past. It does a smoother, more finished job that our highway employees and highways users really notice.
I’m also very excited about the new road construction we’re seeing across our state. The Division of Highways’ six-year program has put record dollars into highway building. We’re making dramatic progress on the I-64 bridge in South Charleston, and on the U.S. 35 connector to State Route 34. The Blennerhassett Island Bridge will open this summer on Corridor D, and work continues on State Route 9 in the Eastern Panhandle; on the Mon Fayette Expressway and other routes in southern West Virginia; and on State Route 2 in the Northern Panhandle. Wherever you travel in the state, you’re going to see our road crews and contractors hard at work to make West Virginia better for business and travel.
An important note about summer paving that I hope everyone takes the time to consider: Watch out for our roadway workers. When entering a designated work zone on our highway system, please obey the posted speed limits. Not only do we want to protect the employees working on these projects and have them return home to their families at the end of the work day, we also want to protect the traveling public.
# # #
