CROSS LANES, W.Va. – A long-awaited Kanawha County roads project is marking a major milestone as a newly widened section of Big Tyler Road in Cross Lanes is open.
The stretch of road from Andrew Jackson Middle School to the intersection of US Routes 62 and 622 opened with four lanes on Monday, completing a significant phase of the larger widening project that has been in the works for over two years.
“That section of the project, although it is not fully complete, is a very crucial step, and I think we’ll see a lot of traffic improvement as a consequence of that section of the project,” Del. Andy Shamblin, R-Kanawha, said Tuesday on 580 Live with Dave Allen.
Monday’s development is a long time coming, with bids on the project being submitted in 2023 and work beginning in 2024 before being halted and then resumed in July. The completed work should provide relief to residents until crews finish the rest of the widening.
“Folks will have an easier time, at least, going home each evening on their evening commute. Getting into Cross Lanes should be a little bit easier,” Shamblin said.
The overall project will widen a 1.5-mile stretch of Big Tyler Road between I-64 and Jackson Middle, meaning focus turns to the other end of the work zone now.
“That means the section from the four-way stop to the interstate is now going to receive full attention from the contractor, so that section is going to start seeing a lot more movement,” Shamblin said.
Planning for the widening of Big Tyler Road began more than 15 years ago, and the state Department of Highways held a public meeting on the project as far back as 2019. Despite the long wait, Shamblin believes the work will pay dividends for the area.
“I think that the completed project will definitely raise property values in the immediate area. It’ll make that property more valuable because you can access it easier, hopefully,” he said.
Shamblin said in a best-case scenario, the project would be complete in February 2027.