CULLODEN, W.Va. — Gov. Jim Justice said Wednesday he used to do a lot of bird hunting near Culloden in Cabell County where he helped break ground on a new highway project.
“The people were kind enough to let me hunt when I was at Marshall forever and a day ago. There are great people here,” Justice said.
He added he was looking forward to a new new interstate exit along I-64 between Hurricane at Milton. The exit will link U.S. Route 60 at Culloden with the interstate.
“I hope and pray we get it done quickly and bring more and more goodness to the area,” Justice said.
Triton Construction will build the new interchange and access road to U.S. 60. The state will pay $32.3 million. The project also includes a new I-64 bridge over Benedict Road. The bridge and three-quarters of mile of the interstate will be widened to accommodate six lanes of traffic in preparation for future expansion.
“We’ve got a good plan and a good team,” state Transportation Secretary Jimmy Wriston said.
The project has been the planning stages for years but now has funding through the Roads to Prosperity program.
“This is indeed a great day for the Culloden area,” Wriston said. “This is a much, much needed project, one that has been in the works for a long, long time.”
The work is expected to begin within 30 days.