W.Va. state budget includes extra funding for road improvements

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) - One of the more common complaints that lawmakers say they receive from their constituents is about road conditions.

“Personally, if I could go a month without hearing a pothole complaint, I would think my job has been a success,” Sen. Ben Queen (R-Harrison) previously told WSAZ.

That’s why, lawmakers say, they put extra supplemental funding in the state’s budget to improve the state’s roads. It’s been a common practice for the past several years, and this year, lawmakers allocated $125 million extra.

“We’ve made a conscious effort to try to improve our roads for every West Virginian, and we know that our work isn’t finished,” Del. Daniel Linville (R-Cabell) said. “But we’re slowly but surely being able to add those resources and get these things accomplished.”

West Virginia Division of Highways spokesperson Brent Walker said the money will help keep the state’s over 39,000 miles of road and 7,200 bridges maintained.

“Everyone deserves a nice smooth ride on their commutes,” Walker said. “But none of those conversations happen without talking about the challenges that we also face continued funding issues.”

“We appreciate [lawmakers] prioritizing our maintenance of roads,” he said. “We’ll put it to good use.”

Both Linville and Walker hope the money will continue to be used quickly to make people’s drives smoother.

“We know that road conditions can cause you a lot of costs as it relates to your vehicle, as it relates to maintaining your vehicle,” Linville told WSAZ. “And frankly, nobody likes spilling coffee on their suit in the morning, right? I’ve done it. We’ve all done it. And we’re trying to eliminate that as best we can and give West Virginians better roads.”

“West Virginians deserve a transportation system they can be proud of,” Walker said. “And our guys are hard at work doing that.”