FAIRMONT — Congressman David McKinley joined West Virginia’s senators Wednesday to urge swift approval for a new interchange on Interstate 79 they say will help bring jobs and economic growth to the region.
McKinley joined U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., and Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., in signing a letter to U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg asking he approve what’s been dubbed the Harmony Grove Interchange near the Morgantown Industrial Park.
“For too long, West Virginia has ranked last in the country due to aging roads and bridges, which has hurt our ability to be competitive in attracting new businesses, good jobs and more opportunity to the state,” McKinley states in a press release. “The Harmony Grove Interchange is one example of how West Virginia can move forward and support new and expanding businesses and strengthen future economic development.
“This project will benefit the Morgantown Industrial Park, connect West Virginia to the rest of the country, and bring good jobs and opportunities to the region.”
The Washington lawmakers’ letter comes some 15 days after the startup SPARKZ announced it plans to open a research and development facility “in the heart of coal country in West Virginia.” And while the site on which SPARKZ plans to build its manufacturing plant has not been disclosed, the lawmakers’ letter alludes to SPARKZ.
“For example, one company that is seeking to plant its roots at the MIP is expected to operate up to 100 trucks daily,” states the letter to Buttigieg. “This company’s investment is especially important as it will bring over $200 million in clean manufacturing investments to the region and provide several hundred jobs to offset previous plant closures.”
In its initial announcement, SPARKZ Founder and CEO Dr. Sanjiv Malhotra, said his company will team up with the United Mine Workers of America “to recruit and train dislocated miners to be the factory’s first production workers.”
The company already has hired its first West Virginia-based employee and, initially, expects to hire at least 350 workers in research and manufacturing.
“Morgantown and other communities along the I-79 corridor have seen significant growth in past years. The Harmony Grove Interchange is necessary to facilitate more economic expansion and meet truck and passenger vehicle capacity needs. Approval of this (Interchange Justification Report) is critical to ensuring the continued prosperity of the Morgantown area and helping it meet its economic potential,” Capito said, in a press release.
The letter to Buttigieg said the proposed interchange would lower the number of trucks traveling directly through Morgantown and the surrounding University area. Approving the interchange would also allow the Morgantown Industrial Park to become multimodal because “it already has both rail and barge access, and bring further economic prosperity to the region.”
“In order to ensure West Virginia’s continued economic growth and job creation, we must regularly upgrade and improve infrastructure across the state. Last year, I was proud to help secure funding for a waterline extension through the Economic Development Administration to spur new investment at the Morgantown Industrial Park. With increased traffic and investment at the site, the proposed Harmony Grove Interchange is great news for Morgantown and the region, and will bolster transportation and economic activity across the entire state. I will continue working with Secretary Buttigieg to expedite the review process and bring these crucial changes to the Harmony Grove Interchange,” Manchin said.