While most agree that more should be done to fix America’s aging infrastructure, the disagreements arise when it comes time to divvy the money.
Officials in Monongalia County have pushed for funding to help construct the Interchange Justification Report for the proposed I-79 Harmony Grove Interchange in Morgantown.
In April, Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Rep. David McKinley, R-W.Va. sent a letter to Pete Buttigieg, U.S. secretary of transportation, to ask for the interchange to become a priority.
“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 said in the letter. “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.”
Per the state Department of Transportation website, this project consists of providing a new interchange on I-79 approximately halfway between Exit 152 — U.S. 19 Westover/Morgantown (Granville) and Exit 155 — W.Va. 7 West Virginia University (Star City/Osage/WVU Football Stadium).
“The proposed project will tie the interchange into two new frontage roads, connecting a relocated County Route 46/3 to the west and an extension of University Town Centre Drive to the east of I-79 including the new proposed WVU Athletic Facilities,” according to the site description. “This meeting complies with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act requirements.”
This project will benefit the Morgantown Industrial Park, McKinley said, adding that it will “connect West Virginia to the rest of the country, and bring good jobs and opportunities to the region.”
Capito said 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,” Capito said in the letter. “Approval of this [Interchange Justification Report] is critical to ensuring the continued prosperity of the Morgantown area and helping it meet its economic potential.”
Manchin said that in order to ensure West Virginia’s continued economic growth and job creation, upgrading and improving infrastructure across the state must be a priority.
“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,” Manchin said. “With increased traffic and investment at the site, the proposed Harmony Grove Interchange is great news for Morgantown and the region.”
Manchin added that the project 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.
Gov. Jim Justice said he is pledging the state of West Virginia’s full support to the project.
“Morgantown and all of North Central West Virginia is a region of our state that continues to grow like crazy. This project to reshape I-79 is a large but necessary undertaking to provide convenient access to the industrial park and other areas where business is flourishing more than ever before,” he said.
Justice said the upgrades would add an element of safety for motorists who use this high-traffic corridor, especially local residents who travel on the interstate every day.
“For those reasons, I’m incredibly proud to put all of my support behind this proposed project, and I pledge to do everything in my power to see that it becomes a reality,” Justice said.
In October 2020, the West Virginia Department of Transportation entered into an agreement with private developer and Morgantown Industrial Park owner Enrout Properties to allow the company to explore the feasibility of building a new interchange on I-79. Enrout agreed to prepare a justification report, environmental document and design study — at no cost to the WVDOT — exploring the proposed new interstate access.
Enrout’s proposal must be approved by the WVDOT and the Federal Highway Administration.
As part of the 2020 agreement, the Monongalia County Commission would reimburse the WVDOT over a number of years, using potential funds generated by the county’s Tax Increment Finance District in that area.
Per a release, Morgantown Industrial Park is located within 500 miles of 40% of the U.S. population and is situated directly between I-79 and I-68.
“It’s as simple as location, location, location,” Justice said. “Convenient access is one of the very first things that businesses look for when determining where to build, which is exactly why I said we needed to focus on major infrastructure projects like this one when I first came up with the phrase ‘Roads to Prosperity.’ As you build out your infrastructure, more and more businesses and people will want to come to you, because you make it convenient. You welcome them in with open arms.”
Per a release from the Governor’s Office, Mountaintop Beverage, a food and beverage packaging company, is already committed to the industrial park, building an approximately 300,000-square-foot packaging facility at the site.
“Amazing companies from all over the world are moving into or expanding operations in West Virginia right now because they see that our economy is on a roll, our state is as business-friendly as they come, and setting up shop in West Virginia means a chance to live in paradise,” Justice added. “Once these businesses move here, it drives more and more activity in our economy, and the cycle of prosperity continues building on itself.
“By completing this crucial interchange project, I truly believe we’d be building a real road to prosperity in this area for generations to come.”