McDowell to lose $900,000 in federal roadway funding
CHARLES OWENS and KATE COIL
Bluefield Daily Telegraph

WELCH — McDowell County will lose $900,000 in federal funds originally earmarked for a proposed interchange of the King Coal Highway and the Coalfields Expressway in Welch, officials confirmed Thursday.

Diane Luensmann, director of communications for U.S. Rep. Nick Rahall, D-W.Va., said the funding was an earmark in a bill that didn’t pass the U.S. Senate because of Republican opposition.

“The Congressman’s $900,000 earmark for the King Coal and Coalfields Expressway interchange passed the House, but did not pass the Senate because of last minute Republican opposition,” Luensmann said. “West Virginia will receive its share of federal discretionary funding, and the Congressman will work with the governor, legislators and state highway officials to apply un-earmarked federal dollars to the interchange.”

Mike Mitchem, executive director of the King Coal Highway, said he was disappointed to learn about the funds being filibustered by Republicans in the Senate, but was hopeful that more funding would be secured in the future by state officials.

The interchange of the King Coal Highway and the Coalfields Expressway was planned near the new $232 million federal prison that recently became operational in Welch.

“We are disappointed about not getting the funding,” Mitchem said. “We appreciate Congressman Rahall’s efforts. We are hopeful we will receive more money in the future for the project. We are sure our West Virginia congressional delegation will be able to secure funding for us in the future.”

Sen. Richard Browning, D-Wyoming, said he learned earlier this month that the federal funds originally earmarked for the construction of the interchange project had been lost.

Browning said U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., also has pledged to help with finding additional funding for the interchange project.

“That funding was essentially lost,” Browning said. “A lot of stuff sort of fell through the cracks.”

Browning said the best hope at the moment for additional funding for both the Coalfields Expressway and the King Coal Highway is a new federal highway reauthorization bill.

“In September, President Obama announced another transportation stimulus bill for $50 billion,” Browning said. “The last I heard about it is that type of funding may be included in a new federal highway bill.”