By Charles Owens, Bluefield Daily Telegraph
BLUEFIELD, W.Va. — Work on the King Coal Highway project in Bluefield is still in a holding pattern.
Approximately 150 acres of land was timbered earlier this year to make way for the next phase of the new interstate corridor in Mercer County, but necessary permits for the project still haven’t been received, according to the West Virginia Department of Highways.
Former West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice, now a member of the U.S. Senate, broke ground on the $58 million contract last November. However, beyond the massive timbering project, no further work has been completed on the contract to date. The new project will take the roadway from its current ending point at Airport Road another 2.5 miles toward the Littlesburg Road area, near Bluewell.
Brent Walker, a spokesman for the West Virginia Department of Transportation, said the DOH is still waiting on permits before work can resume.
