W.Va. Legislature Authorizes $800 Million in Road Bonds

The West Virginia Legislature has authorized issuing up to $800 million in bonds for road repairs and construction over the next seven months, followed by another $800 million in the following three years.

That follows the recent approval by voters for the state to issue $1.6 billion of new bonds to repair and build roads and bridges.

The state has listed more than 600 planned projects, some in all of the state’s 55 counties.

The Republican-controlled Legislature early this year approved taxes and fees to support bond repayments, which Gov. Jim Justice signed into law.

Lawmakers were called back in October and voted to strengthen penalties for violations of a law that requires 75 percent of the workforce on a state-contracted construction job be from the local labor market.