CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A state senator wants the legislature to make a commitment to the state’s highway system.
“If we don’t do something this spring–to do a paving cycle of some sort–our roads are in the worse shape I’ve seen in a while,” Sen. Bob Plymale, D-Wayne, told fellow senators last week.
The state Road Fund is doing a little better this year with revenue collections but the fund has basically been stagnant for the last several years.
Plymale said lawmakers need to consider additional funding for paving even though it’s a tight budget year for the state.
“I don’t how much it’s going to cost. I would say it’s going to be between 20 and 25 million dollars to be able to do the right and appropriate paving cycle,” Plymale said. “But we’ve got to find something even if it is in the Rainy Day Fund.”
Plymale said it’s a rainy day for the roads of West Virginia.
“If they aren’t kept and maintained we are going to run into problems moving forward,” he said.