By Greg Jordan, Bluefield Daily Telegraph
BLUEFIELD, W.Va. – A multi-million dollar contract for constructing a new section of the King Coal Highway which will connect more parts of Mercer County with each other was announced Monday during a groundbreaking ceremony on the future roadway’s site.
Gov. Jim Justice announced the award of a $58 million contract for the construction of a 2.5-mile stretch of the King Coal Highway connecting Littlesburg to the Mercer County Airport. The contract was awarded to Kanawha Stone Company.
The King Coal Highway is a four-lane highway that will extend approximately 95 miles long through Mercer, McDowell, Mingo, Wyoming and Wayne counties along or near currently existing US 52 from US 119 near Williamson to Interstate 77 in Bluefield. A three-mile section from Airport Road to John Nash Boulevard near Bluefield, which includes the Christine West Bridge, was opened in December 2023.
The new section of interstate corridor will link up Airport Road with the Littlesburg community, near Bluewell and Route 20.