WASHINGTON, W.Va. (WVVA) - A $13.4 million grant announced by Sen. Shelley Moore Capito announced today will finance the removal of the Midway Tunnel off Bluefield Avenue and the construction of an overpass that is part of a larger, “major” project.
After completion, the new overpass and road improvements will be the approach to a planned intermodal facility, which transfers freight from the railroad.
Details about the entire project have not yet been released but it is described by officials with the City of Bluefield as a “major, major project.”
The existing one lane, signal-controlled railroad underpass (Old Bramwel Road/County Route 11) has been prone to flooding and often a hazard to motorists.
Capito said the $13.4 million for the project is through the Rural Surface Transportation Grant Program, which Capito championed and included in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
“When we wrote and negotiated the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, I fought to ensure the transportation needs of West Virginia’s rural communities were taken into account. Today’s funding announcement is welcome news and will ultimately help both residents and visitors who are traveling in and around Bluefield and the surrounding area. This is the kind of core infrastructure project we intended the IIJA to support and I’m looking forward to seeing it constructed and completed,” Capito said.
The overpass will also feature separate pedestrian and bike lanes.