The Coalfields Expressway, designated as U.S. Route 121, is a proposed 108-mile highway that will connect Interstates 64 and 77 in Beckley, West Virginia, to U.S. Route 23 in Pound, Virginia.
History
Proposal and Design
In 1989, the West Virginia Legislature introduced House Concurrent Resolution 28, proposing a new highway linking Interstates 64 and 77 in Beckley to U.S. Route 460 in Grundy, Virginia. 5 The route would generally follow WV Route 16 through Raleigh and Wyoming counties and WV Route 83 in McDowell County. Initially, it was designed as a two-lane road with three-lane passing zones on inclines. House Concurrent Resolution 28 was later merged with two other highway proposals, which were approved for construction as four-lane highways. The Coal Highways Interim Committee was then formed to study these proposals, and after several meetings, all three routes were recommended for construction.
In August 1992, the West Virginia Department of Highways (WVDOH) held public information meetings. 6 By March 1996, a Pre-Draft Environmental Impact Statement (PDEIS) was completed, and by 1997, WVDOH, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) began coordinating the project. A second round of public meetings occurred in April 1998.
Based on the findings from the PDEIS, feedback from resource agencies, and coordination with VDOT, the number of alternatives considered for the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) was narrowed from twelve to four. 6 These alternatives represented the most practical and feasible options. The DEIS was approved in February 1999, and public hearings were held in April. The Final Environmental Impact Statement was completed in November 1999, and the FHWA issued a Record of Decision in June 2000.
Construction
Design work on a nine-mile segment of the expressway between U.S. Route 52 in McDowell County and WV Route 16 near Woosley in Wyoming County began in 1998. 6 This section includes an interchange with the proposed King Coal Highway. Grading for a one-mile section near the Federal Correctional Institution at Indian Ridge was completed by 2010, though it remained unpaved.
Further east, construction near Sophia and Crab Orchard, including an interchange with WV Routes 16 and 54, was finished in 2005. In 2013, two contracts were awarded for grading and drainage on a two-mile section near Helen—one of four projects intended to complete the road between Beckley and Mullens. 1
By December 2013, a 3.2-mile interim route connecting Interstates 64 and 77 at MacArthur to the WV Route 54 and 16 interchange at Crab Orchard was open to traffic. Another 4.3-mile section, from the interchange to County Route 34 (Slab Fork Road), was also open, and construction was underway to extend the route from Slab Fork Road to WV Route 54 at Nuriva, north of Mullens.
Following the approval of the Roads to Prosperity bond program, $55 million was allocated to extend the expressway from County Route 34 (Slab Fork Road) to Mullens. 2 3 In April 2019, a paving contract for the 8.9-mile segment was awarded, and the completed section was dedicated on October 1, 2020, 4 10 at a cost of $33 million. 10 This brought the completed length of the expressway to approximately 13 miles between Mullens and Crab Orchard, with an additional 3 miles of interim alignment between Crab Orchard and Interstates 64 and 77 in MacArthur.
In May 2022, a $148 million contract was awarded for the construction of a 5.12-mile segment between Welch and the planned WV Route 16 intersection in Wyoming County. 7 8 9 This project will involve the construction of two ramps, two bridges, and the excavation of 16 million cubic yards of earth. 9 Completion is expected by late 2026. 4 9
Future plans include extending the expressway from WV Route 54 near Mullens to Twin Falls State Park, followed by another three-mile section from Twin Falls to Pineville.
Sources
- Brinks, Travis. “Coalfields Expressway project moving forward.” MetroNews, 9 Jun. 2013.
- Stuck, Taylor. “Voters approve WV road bond.” Herald-Dispatch, 8 Oct. 2017.
- Moore, Annie. “W.Va. Governor adds 55 million for Coalfields Expressway in upcoming bond election.” WVVA-TV, 5 Sept. 2017.
- Brooks, Mary Catherine. “Coalfields Expressway opens into Wyoming County.” Register-Herald, 1 Oct. 2020.
- “Chronology of the Corridor.” West Virginia Department of Transportation.
- “Corridor Development Status.” West Virginia Department of Transportation.
- Owens, Charles. “PRIDE 2024: Section 4: DOH eyes 2026 completion date for Coalfields Expressway in McDowell County.” Bluefield Daily Telegraph, 28 Sept. 2024.
- “Gov. Justice holds groundbreaking ceremony for new section of Coalfields Expressway.” Office of the Governor, 1 Aug. 2022.
- “Gov. Justice announces massive road project to connect Welch with Coalfields Expressway.” Office of the Governor, 13 May 2022.
- “Gov. Justice holds grand opening ceremony for Coalfields Expressway.” Office of the Governor, 1 Oct. 2020.
Better access to Twin Falls or Chief Logan Parks?
There will be another entrance from the south.