KINGWOOD — Preston County has more money for roads this fiscal year than the last, State Division of Highways (DOH) officials told the Preston County Commission Monday.
But, Commissioner Samantha Stone pointed out, many of the projects promised by Gov. Jim Justice under the Preston County Roads Initiative remain undone. That includes a list of “high priority projects” of 72. 3 miles that District 4 Engineer Darby Clayton sent to Charleston, requesting funding.
“The governor said he was going to do great things on this project with the Preston County initiative, and then they cut us off,” Stone said. “We’ve got to wait for more money. We don’t know where it’s coming from … so the problem always comes back to the money.”
Last year, Preston’s road budget was $5.6 million. This year, it is $7.36 million, the representatives told Commissioners Stone and Dave Price. The county was approved for 55 positions.
District 4 Design Engineer Mike Pumphrey updated commissioners on projects.
Paving projects completed, he said, are: 1.24 miles of Shower Bath Road, from W.Va. 72 to W.Va. 26; 2.45 miles of Dogtown Road, from W.Va. 92 to Morgan Mine Road; 2.62 miles of Hazelton-Gladesville Road, from East End Moyers to W.Va. 26; 3.57 miles of Hazelton Maryland Road, from Big Bear Lake Access Road to the state line; 0.56 miles of Old Factory Road, from Aurora Pike to Riggs Avenue; 6.79 miles of W.Va. 26, from Mankins Road Shortcut to W.Va. 7; 0.5 miles of Vocational School Road, from W.Va. 26 to the dead end; 0.5 miles of the Poor Farm Road, from Vocational School Road to W.Va. 26; 1.87 miles of Maple Springs Highway from Grange Hall Road to U.S. 50.
Scheduled for completion in October are 4.97 miles of W.Va. 72 from Salt Lick Road to Jerreries Road; 3.99 miles of W.Va. 92 from U.S. 50 to Independence Gladesville Road; 1.18 miles of Laurel-Run Pisgah Road, from Russ Lee Road to County Route 73/73; 1.1 miles of Russ Lee Road, from Laurel Run-Pisgah Road to the dead end.
Work has started on 1.79 miles of W.Va. 7, from Freeland Road to Dulin Road. On hold pending funding is paving of 2.92 miles of Brandonville Pike, from County Route 3/10 to the Lutheran Church.
Stone said the Maple Springs Highway “truly did not need a two-inch overlay,” based on her observations and about 50 phone calls she received. She urged the men to take the message back, “to allow the commissioners and our elected officials here to just have a little more input,” in picking projects.
Pumphrey said many of the Preston County initiative projects may be done through routine maintenance, if additional funds aren’t provided.
That list of 72.3 miles includes work on Brandonville Pike, Terra Alta-Aurora Pike, Cheat River Highway, Dogtown Road, North Preston Highway, Campground Road, Clifton Mills Road, Dennis Road, Cranesville Road, Oak Grove Road, Hileman Road, Benson Road, Lake-O-Woods Road, Tunnelton Street, Woolen Mills Road, Salem Five Fork Road and Centenary-Mountain Road.
“It’s usually not til October that I find out how much money we have for our normal program,” Pumphrey said.
“No doubt about it, we do appreciate the direction that the Division of Highways is taking, with the communication and getting this stuff to us,” Stone said. “The true battle is in Charleston, and we are fighting for additional funding.”
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