3/25/2011
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin today announced the project to complete the final 14.6 miles of U.S. Route 35 to a four-lane road is now on hold indefinitely.
"Over the course of the past several months, the U.S. Route 35 project has taken many twists and turns," Gov. Tomblin said. "When I began acting as Governor, this project was in the final stages of development to finish the last portion of Route 35 in Mason and Putnam Counties. However, as a result of a reversal by the Mason County Commission, litigation ensued and the project was delayed. A downturn in the market then occurred, making the project not feasible from a financial standpoint.
In an attempt to save the project, I proposed legislation that would have aided the State's ability to market and sell the bonds needed for the project. The Legislature, however, declined to act on my proposal.
I know that there is great interest in the completion of Route 35. I would like to see it completed as well. In fact, the State has already invested approximately $400 million in this project, and the State was prepared to dedicate another $105 million to see this project completed. However, our federal moneys are declining and the State cannot afford to complete the final section of Route 35 without revenues from toll revenue bonds. Simply put, without the proceeds of that bond sale, the State is without sufficient resources to construct the remaining 14.6 miles of Route 35.
Therefore, the Department of Transportation will ask the Parkways Authority to refrain from taking action on the proposed project and making Route 35 a toll road. Instead, the Department is studying how it can make improvements to the roadway on a much more limited budget. These plans, however, will not include converting any more of Route 35 to a four lane highway."
Contact Information
Jacqueline Proctor
304-558-2000