By Greg Jordan, Bluefield Daily Telegraph
LEBANON, Va. — A proposed highway crossing Southwest Virginia and southern West Virginia could give both states an economic impact measured in billions of dollars over the next 50 years, according to the Virginia Coalfields Expressway Authority Board.
The cumulative economic impact of the Coalfields Expressway (CFX) during a 50-year span is estimated to be $12.8 billion in 2021 dollars, according to a study about the proposed roadway presented to members of the Virginia Coalfields Expressway Authority Board.
The study, performed by Chmura Economics & Analytics in Richmond, Va., was conducted at the request of the Virginia CFX Authority and the Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority (VCEDA) and built upon a prior study conducted by Chmura in 2013. What the new study found was that while 2021 estimates are that the completed roadway in Virginia will cost $3.1 billion, each dollar of investment in the CFX can result in $3.10 in economic impact in the two-state corridor during its life span.
The Coalfields Expressway, designated as U.S. Route 121 and a Congressional High Priority Corridor, is a proposed limited-access highway to provide a modern, safe and efficient transportation artery through the coalfield region of far Southwest Virginia and southern West Virginia…
