HURRICANE, W.Va. — A six-mile stretch of Interstate 64 from Hurricane to Milton will be totally rebuilt as part of the state’s new road construction program, what the governor’s office is calling Jim’s Promise Program.
Gov. Jim Justice and state Transportation Secretary Tom Smith announced the project Thursday morning at a news conference along Interstate 64 at the Hurricane Rest Area.
Smith said the project will be more than repaving.
“We’ll be starting from the ground up,” Smith said.
The anticipated $15 million project will be financed through GARVEE bonds and create about 300 jobs.
“This is absolutely what we need. We need immediate jobs, immediate change, immediate hope and immediate revenue,” Justice said.
Smith told contractors earlier this week they can expect $230 million in GARVEE bonds to be sold in October and by early next year $130 million in additional bonds, linked to continued Turnpike tolls, would go to market.
Other road projects that Justice will be announcing in the days ahead will be paid for with money from a $130 million tax and fee increase that include increases in DMV fees, a reworking of the wholesale tax on gasoline and a hike in the tax on purchasing vehicles.
There are more projects ahead, Justice said.
“This is just the beginning. It’s just the tip of the iceberg as to all the greatness that can come,” Justice said.
Residents will be asked to approve a road bond amendment in a vote scheduled for Oct. 7. The Justice administration says the money from the tax and fee increases will then be used to pay off bonds approaching $2 billion for road and bridge projects.
The Hurricane-to-Milton project is scheduled to go out to bid in August.