KINGWOOD — After two days of riding on Preston County roads, State Transportation Secretary Tom Smith presented his plan Wednesday to make them better.
But there are limitations, he explained at a wrap up session Wednesday. Whatever is added to Preston County’s Division of Highways budget will have to be cut from somewhere else.
In 2013, the Blue Ribbon Commission said the DOH needed $750 million more annually to maintain roads. The money wasn’t put in, and that put the DOH “in a deep hole,” with maintenance issues statewide, Smith said.
There are no unused funds, Smith said. When a recent state audit showed counties weren’t spending all the money allotted for core maintenance, that didn’t mean the money wasn’t spent, Smith said. It meant it was used for some other need.
A North Carolina native, Smith said other than Kanawha and Putnam, he has now driven more miles in Preston County than others in the state.
Smith wants to divert funds from other uses to Preston and perhaps draw manpower from other counties. He will also ask how the West Virginia National Guard can help. Contractors may also be used.
“We want to work with you all. We want you to view us as your partner in Charleston, not someone who’s not willing to
come out and be with
you,” he said.
State Highways Engineer Aaron Gillispie said DOH workers will be doing things like ditching, with central district forces helping. And additional funds will be put into paving in Preston. For example, if a bridge is to be done but an environmental study is holding up the project, the money could be used to pave here.
“We had a plan developed, but now we’re going to increase that plan to some degree, be a little more aggressive with it,” Gillispie said. “We’re asking for their paving list and slide list, and we’re going to do the best we can with it.”
Prestonians will see immediate action, but you can’t turn around years of neglect overnight, he said.
The governor ordered Smith to come to Preston County and plan a way to repair the roads. On Tuesday, Smith met with District 4 officials and drove on primary roads. On Wednesday, a large part of the day was spent riding with Preston Commissioner Samantha Stone on a tour of secondary roads.
A shortage of DOH workers is part of the problem in Preston, Smith said. Stone suggested hiring temporary workers to bolster DOH crews. An example is bus drivers, who hold CDLs and could drive trucks during the summer, when school is out, she said.
Preston DOH Supervisor Blaine Bowmar said he routinely takes job applications to Preston High, without results. Stone said she will work with him to present info on job opportunities to students.
“I look forward to you addressing other issues
in District 4, because this is a District 4 issue,” Stone said.
