CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The state Division of Highways is taking public comments until Feb. 24 regarding improvements to Goff Mountain and Big Tyler roads.
Crews are looking to increase the number of lanes to four and five lanes in a 1.25-mile section between Interstate 64 to Andrew Jackson Middle School. Additional work includes drainage work along Sun Valley Drive.
The $18.7 million project is being funded through the Roads to Prosperity program.
More than 25,000 vehicles drive on the stretch of highway daily, with traffic building up in the two- three-lane area.
Dirar Ahmad, the section head with the Division of Highways’ engineering division, said improvements were last made 15 years ago.
“It helped, but the area grew again,” he said.
Ahmad was among the officials who participated in a public meeting Thursday at the Cross Lanes Baptist Church.
“Generally, we’ve had tremendous support from people here,” he said. “They’re saying just get it over with and go construct it because we are tired of this congestion.”
The Division of Highways is going through an environmental assessment regarding the impact to homes and citizens, as well as the safety concerns associated with such project.
“We do the traffic analysis based on projections over 20 years, and all of the numbers look good,” Ahmad said. “The improvement that we are doing will help the situation, at least for the next 20 years.”
Officials will begin right-of-way appraisals and reviews after the environmental assessment is done.
Most of the work will happen at night, with daytime projects affecting sidewalks and shoulders. Ahmad estimated the project will be done in 2023.