West Virginia governor signs bills to pay for road work

Gov. Jim Justice a week ago called state legislators back for a special session to address economic policy and road work.

Already planning to be in Charleston for regularly scheduled interim committee meetings, lawmakers introduced, voted on, and approved two bills to increase highway funding.

The governor soon after signed into law two bills to route unappropriated 2021 surplus revenue from the state’s general fund to the Department of Transportation’s Division of Highways.

The first bill, SB4002, takes advantage of the state’s budget surplus to pay for upgrades to secondary roads around the state. The bill transfers $150 million for maintenance work.

The second bill, SB4003, specifies that $125 million will be used for road work projects. The remaining $25 million will be allotted for equipment.

The West Virginia Department of Transportation says nearly 500 paving projects remain for the year. The projects represent nearly 800 miles of work. More than 29,000 projects have been completed so far this year.

Justice said at a media briefing that at least two paving projects will be completed in each of the state’s 55 counties. The road work projects will account for 1,423 lane miles.

“When I got here we didn’t have any way to take care of our roads,” he said. “We have resurfaced all across this state. We are going to keep pouring it on and we’re going to get every single road before it’s over.”

Second round for roads

The most recent action at the statehouse marks the second time in as many years that state lawmakers approved legislation that uses money available to the state to boost transportation funding.

Justice also called a special session in July 2021 to address the need to tap a surplus to aid transportation projects.

House and Senate lawmakers approved legislation to authorize $150 million in additional funding for the state’s Division of Highways. The money was transferred from the state’s General Revenue Fund to the Road Fund.

The governor said at the time passage of the 2021 legislation allows the state to complete 402 secondary road projects in all 55 counties. Work included 742 miles of road repaving and repairs to 40 bridges. LL

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