By CHARLES OWENS
Bluefield Daily Telegraph
May 14, 2009 09:11 pm
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GRUNDY, Va. — The Coalfields Expressway won’t be funded in the first round of federal stimulus transportation dollars announced for Virginia, officials confirmed Thursday.
The Commonwealth has approved $160.1 million in federal stimulus dollars for the first round of transportation projects. The initial contracts will be awarded next week, according to Virginia Department of Transportation spokesman Jeff Caldwell.
Caldwell said funding for the Coalfields Expressway in Southwest Virginia wasn’t included in the first round of stimulus dollars.
“This is not a surprise,” Sen. Phillip Puckett, D-Russell, said. “We weren’t really looking for money the first time around. But we think in the second round we might be able to do something to move the 460 connector piece along that is actually being rebid. So we are going to wait patiently.”
Puckett said officials didn’t expect funding for the Coalfields Expressway in the first round of stimulus awards because two grants totaling $10 million were awarded by the state for the project last year.
The unique public-private partnership that is being used to develop the four-lane corridor in Southwest Virginia doesn’t disqualify it from receiving federal stimulus dollars, Puckett said.
“No it doesn’t,” Puckett said. “It’s an ongoing project and it is more than shovel ready. That is why we have hope. The things we were told originally was the first round of monies would be used for bridges and pavement, and all of those bridges that were identified as deficient will get the first money. But we are going to see some paving, and some of that will probably be on (Interstate) 81, and maybe some on 19-460 and part of (Route) 58.”
Caldwell said other potential projects will be considered for federal stimulus dollars during the next round of funding.
“We are still working on the next list of projects,” Caldwell said. “The Commonwealth Transportation Board will continue to work on stimulus money at its monthly meetings. It’s next meeting is May 20. During the next meeting, it will reward several projects.”
The Coalfields Expressway — also known as U.S. Route 121 in Virginia — is proposed as a four-lane highway stretching 51 miles from Pound in Wise County through Dickenson and Buchanan counties to the West Virginia line. It will extend an additional 65 miles in West Virginia through the counties of McDowell, Wyoming and Raleigh. The West Virginia leg of the project also failed to receive federal stimulus dollars.
– Contact Charles Owens at cowens@bdtonline.com
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