Division Of Highways Prepares To Repave Local Roads Across W.Va.

The West Virginia Division of Highways plans to repave local traffic roads across the state with a new $150 million investment from the West Virginia Legislature.

During last week’s special legislative session, lawmakers passed Senate Bill 1002, which granted the agency a new round of funding for road improvements.

State transportation officials were joined by Gov. Jim Justice Thursday for a ceremonial bill signing in Beckley.

During the signing, Justice said that repairing state roads plays an important role in improving quality of life for West Virginians and attracting new residents.

When prospective residents look at “standard of life” in West Virginia, they look at highways, he said.

Previously, “you couldn’t drive to the convenience store [without] destroying your full vehicle on the way to the convenience store,” Justice said. “Our roads were in [such] disrepair it was off the chart.”

In January, Justice and the Division of Highways launched an effort — nicknamed Operation R.I.P. Potholes — to patch over potholes on public roads across the state.

Secretary of Transportation Jimmy Wriston said the pothole and repaving projects are part of a coordinated effort to repair derelict roadways throughout West Virginia.

Filling these potholes marked a necessary first step toward repaving roads on a wider scale, he said. “They have to be repaired before I can pave them.”