SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. –The Jefferson Road Project in South Charleston continues to make progress as the northbound lane opens up on the newly constructed bridge.

The project aims to improve safety and congestion in the area. It includes the reconfiguration of the road between U.S. Route 119 and U.S. 60, which is from Corridor G to MacCorkle Avenue. It will also include a bridge that stretches over Trace Fork gorge and a roundabout.

The project, which began in 2019, is a part of former Governor Jim Justice’s Road to Prosperity program, which was created in 2017 to help finish projects that have been untouched for years.

South Charleston Mayor Frank Mullens was on MetroNews Midday Thursday afternoon to talk about the excitement surrounding the opening of the one lane but also an overview of the rest of the project.

Mullens said that it’s a relief to see the project moving along.

“Well, it’s light at the end of the tunnel, it’s like the other projects we got going on in our city, it’s starting to come to fruition now so it’s exciting to see it become reality,” he said. “So, when that thing opens up it’s like we’re almost at the end of this thing.”

Mullens says that the project has been horrible for traffic right now, especially when they have people travel to the city for sporting events and other activities.

He said that it should allow for better travel once everything is complete within the project.

“This is the route everybody likes to go to go shopping and eat while they’re here visiting our city for their tournaments, travel tournaments and things like that so this is going to be a great addition to our community for sure,” Mullens said.

Once the completed project is done, the traffic lights at the intersection of Kanawha Turnpike and Jefferson Road will be gone which will further help the flow of traffic in the area.

“Those lights should be gone once the roundabout is complete under the bridge and that will make it even so much better because traffic is going to be a continuous flow instead of all of the stopping and starting,” Mullens said.

Mullens praised everyone involved in the project.

“Highways (division) did a really good job designing this thing and I want to give a shout out to the contractors too, to deal with the traffic there as long as they’ve dealt with it, they’ve done a pretty good job,” he said.

He says that right now the goal is to have the southbound lane open by midsummer with the rest of the project completed by late fall.

Photo: Division of Highway’s website