Published: July 06, 2008 08:16 pm      

King Coal bridge: Girders going up soon

BLUEFIELD — With six piers now erected, work is slowly progressing on the new $16.2 million King Coal Highway bridge project in Bluefield.

Construction on the girders, or support beams, will begin by the month’s end. Motorists are reminded that periodic traffic interruptions may be necessary at that time, Rick Braun, a district construction engineer with the West Virginia Division of Transportation District 10 office in Princeton, said.

“We are going to start putting structural steel — the girders — up as early as the end of the month,” Braun said. “We anticipate that once we start connecting the spans over the old 19 that there might be periodic traffic interruptions. The time table hasn’t been worked out yet. When you are putting up girders, it is very slow.”

When completed, the twin interstate bridges will span high above Route 19 to Stoney Ridge. The project will connect with the existing K.A. Ammar Interchange in Bluefield. Local officials are still looking to the 2009 federal highways appropriation bill for the release of additional federal dollars necessary to keep the project construction moving toward Stoney Ridge, Route 123, the Mercer County Airport and the site of the proposed multi-purpose equestrian park project.

“We are still waiting to hear from the 2009 transportation bill,” King Coal Highway Executive Director Mike Mitchem said. “They even said it is a possibility that it could be 2010 because of the election. I’m hoping to hear by next year. If the Democrats retain control, we should get a little bit more money.”

Braun said the bridge project is now about 34 percent complete.

The twin bridges will extend about 160 feet above Route 19 taking the King Coal Highway from the K.A. Ammar Interchange in Bluefield toward Stoney Ridge.

When completed at some point in the future, the King Coal Highway will travel 95 miles through Mingo, Wayne, Wyoming, McDowell and Mercer counties with the Tolsia segment from Williamson to Huntington extending another 55 miles. It will interchange with the Coalfields Expressway in Welch near the Indian Ridge Industrial Park and the site of the new federal prison. The King Coal and Tolsia Highways represent the West Virginia corridors of Interstate 73/74.

– Contact Charles Owens at cowens@bdtonline.com