BECKLEY, W.Va. — Construction to make U.S. 35 a toll road took a key
step forward Thursday with passage of
a legal agreement between West
Virginia’s Parkways Authority and Division of Highways to operate the
new turnpike.
Approved unanimously by the authority, the memorandum of understanding
spells out the nuts and bolts of how the two agencies will cooperatively
operate the proposed 31.88-mile toll road through Putnam and Mason
counties.
“We’re moving forward,” Parkways General Manager Greg Barr said after the meeting at the Tamarack conference center.
Much still has to happen for the toll road to become a reality,
including getting endorsements for the project from a local citizen
advisory committee and from the two county commissions. That’s expected
to occur during meetings scheduled over the next two weeks.
