West Virginia Governor's Office issued the following announcement on Nov. 11
Gov. Jim Justice held a grand opening ceremony for the largest single-contract project in his visionary Roads to Prosperity program, cutting the ribbon on the final 14.6-mile section of four-lane U.S. Route 35.
“What you see here today is a tremendous achievement,” Gov. Justice said. “I thank everybody that put into licks to make this a reality; to make all this goodness happen.”
Gov. Justice was joined for the ceremony by U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito, U.S. Senator Joe Manchin, and U.S. Congresswoman Carol Miller, leaders with the Federal Highway Administration and the West Virginia Department of Transportation, and other officials.
Completion of the massive project was made possible through Gov. Justice’s $2.8 billion Roads to Prosperity highway construction and maintenance program. The program, addressing roads and bridges all over the Mountain State, is the most aggressive highway construction program in West Virginia history.
In terms of dollar-value, the $257 million U.S. Route 35 project is the largest single-contract Roads to Prosperity project in the entire program. The project was funded through a combination of state and federal dollars.
Completion of the project will now allow travelers to utilize a safe highway to accommodate increased traffic demands in the area. Motorists will be able to drive on smooth, four-lane pavement for 37 consecutive miles, beginning at the Interstate 64 exit at Scott Depot and continuing straight through to Point Pleasant and the Ohio state line, heading toward Columbus.
“I used to hunt around here all the time years ago. I would drive 35, and at times it seemed a little dangerous. I’ve always thought, if there was ever a place that needed a bigger road, it’s this,” Gov. Justice said.
Original source can be found here.
