Re: (VA) Coalfields Expwy. moving foward with design-build concept

On Nov 29, 10:45 pm, H.B. Elkins <hbelk...@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
On Thu, 29 Nov 2007 19:21:46 -0800 (PST), Sherman L. Cahal wrote:
"Let me just say real quickly that this a piece of the first segment
of the Coalfields Expressway," Puckett said. "That connector route
comes out of Kentucky and comes into Buchanan County. It connects with
the expressway at the top of Bull Creek. I'm very pleased that we are
seeing some action really getting started on that."

Kentucky's new US 460 runs to the west of and roughly parallels the current US
460/KY 80 alignment. At the split of 460 and 80 at Belcher, north of Elkhorn
City, 460 goes across a couple of mountains on new alignment necessitated by the
impounding of Fishtrap Lake. At Mouthcard, 460 joins its old alignment that was
partially flooded by the lake and continues into Virginia.

The new US 460 runs parallel to and west of KY 80 from Belcher and west of
Elkhorn City and Breaks Interstate Park and into Virginia. US 460 will then run
concurrently with US 121, the Coalfields Expressway, to Grundy, where the routes
will split and 121 will roughly parallel VA 83 into West Virginia.

Puckett said federal Appalachian Regional Commission funds are
available for the actual construction of the Route 460 Connector.

I'd think that since the concurrent US 121/US 460 routes are part of Corridor Q,
that portion of the Coalfields Expressway would be eligible for ARC funding.

Bowling said two Southwest Virginia coal companies remain partners in
the project. By combining road construction with mining, officials
estimate the cost of building the Coalfields Expressway could be
significantly reduced, Bowling said.

That's essentially what WV did with the new US 52 alignment near Gilbert that we
toured a couple of years ago.

The Coalfields Expressway -- on the drawing board for more than a
decade in Southwest Virginia -- is proposed to extend more than 50
miles through Buchanan, Dickenson and Wise counties. Sections of the
expressway in McDowell and Raleigh counties in neighboring West
Virginia already remain under construction or are currently completed.
A 1.4 mile non-paved section of the four-lane corridor was completed
in McDowell County in 2002.

I'll bet that unpaved section is a haven for ATV riders.

I only know of the Raleigh County section that was completed. We
toured the McDowell County section near Welch, and all that was was a
huge valley fill that will eventually hold the Coalfields and King
Coal volleyball interchange.
.

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