HUNTINGTON — A new welcome center for Huntington is being developed after federal funding was secured by U.S. Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., both members of the Senate Appropriations Committee.
Manchin and Capito secured $1.75 million to build the new Appalachian Heartland Welcome Center at the interchange of Interstate 64 and W.Va. 152 at Exit 8 in Huntington.
Jennifer Dooley, spokesperson for the West Virginia Department of Transportation’s Public Relations Division, said in an email that she spoke with Jason Foster, deputy state highway engineer, who said they have initiated development but have not yet selected a final design.
“This will be a new welcome center at a different site near Exit 8,” Dooley said in the email. “We will reach out to the public via press release as we begin to get schedules and updates.”
Dooley did not specify where at Exit 8 the welcome center will be built.
The funding was part of $18.88 million for eight West Virginia highway projects. The awards are made possible by congressionally directed spending requests secured by Manchin and Capito, which are funded through the U.S. Department of Transportation.
“West Virginia’s infrastructure plays a critical role in our state’s economy, which is why improving, modernizing, and expanding our roads, bridges and highways continues to be one of my top priorities,” Manchin said in a press release announcing the funding.
Manchin said the projects will boost local tourism, spur economic development and promote safe and secure travel.
“Moving West Virginia forward means investing in our roads and highways, and it’s exactly why I requested this funding for eight key projects across our state,” Capito said in the release. “Advancing these projects closer to completion impacts nearly every corner of West Virginia, and will create jobs, grow our local economies, and improve transportation for residents and visitors alike.”