W.Va. Gov. Jim Justice signs bills for highway projects

BECKLEY, W.Va. (WSAZ) – If you have traveled on the West Virginia Turnpike recently, you may notice there’s not as many places to stop.

On Tuesday, May 28, Gov. Jim Justice signed Senate Bill 1002 outside the Tamarack Marketplace, and other state officials gave an update on the rest area construction.

The bill allocates $150 million toward statewide highway projects.

Jeff Miller, director of West Virginia Parkways, said the improvements to the rest areas will bring back the travel experience people had in the 1950s and 60s.

“We took a hard look at what people want,” Miller said, adding they wanted to make a beautiful design and make the travel stops more modern.

Miller said 80 percent of the 36.5 million transactions on the turnpike come from out-of-state travelers, and Justice praised Miller for his work on the improvements.

“They’re all stopping now at the travel plazas and they’re all getting a real look at West Virginia,” he said.

After the update on the rest area construction, Jimmy Wriston, the Secretary of West Virginia Transportation said, “None of the general revenue funds will be going to that project. The project that we’ll be working on will be paving the secondary roads.”

Justice signed the bill and said the funds will go exactly where West Virginians need it the most, “150 million dollars to continue this momentum, continue this wave we’re sitting on the top of and riding, and boy is it fun,” he said.

State officials are hopeful the rest area construction on the turnpike will be completed by the end of the year.

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