PRINCETON, WV – (SEPTEMBER 1, 2026) – The status of the Coalfields Expressway in Virginia and West Virginia, as well as opportunities for collaboration between both states, were the topics of discussion among members of the Virginia Coalfields Expressway Authority, the Virginia Department of Transportation and the West Virginia Department of Transportation as representatives from the two states met Monday in Princeton, WV.
Also in attendance from Virginia were Virginia Del. Will Morefield and Shane Clem from the office of U.S. Sen. Mark Warner.
The Coalfields Expressway, designated as U.S. Rt. 121, is intended to improve connectivity, enhance public safety and create new opportunities for economic growth throughout the coalfield region. When complete, the highway will improve access to industrial sites, support tourism, strengthen regional transportation networks and provide safer travel routes for residents and businesses. It connects with Interstates 64 and 77 in West Virginia; U.S. Rt. 460 in Kentucky; and will ultimately connect with U.S. 23 in Pound, VA.
“The overall project has long been a priority for local leaders and state and federal officials who recognize its importance to the region’s economic future,” said Virginia CFX Authority Executive Director Jonathan Belcher.
Belcher gave an overview of the project in Virginia noting that historic challenges to the decades old project have included funding shortages and the complex process involved in a multi-state project. While 14 miles of U.S. 121 and U.S. 460 in Buchanan County will have been completed by next year, the remaining sections of U.S. 121 — approximately 42 miles in Virginia — currently remain unfunded.
In West Virginia, Deputy State Highway Engineer Ed Compton noted the construction focus of the expressway in that state has been in connecting Welch, WV to Beckley, WV. He noted that the segments which would connect Virginia to the Welch, WV area are not currently included in West Virginia’s upcoming Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) for the expressway in West Virginia.
In West Virginia, approximately 18 miles of the Coalfields Expressway has been constructed and is open between Mullens, WV and the Sophia area at Beckley, WV.
“Our success in Virginia has come from piecemeal appropriations and strong advocacy from local legislators and CDS funding,” Belcher noted, referencing congressional designated spending which has been received.
Compton said in West Virginia it was similar with projects being completed in units as funding is made available.
“It’s a generational project,” Compton said, referencing the fact that some segment construction has been ongoing in West Virginia for three decades.
James Keen, a member of the Virginia CFX Authority board and a former member of Virginia’s state transportation board, suggested a study might need to be commissioned to look at the impacts on rural localities of guidelines which are used by both states to prioritize statewide transportation spending.
Also discussed briefly was whether coal synergy projects were possible to advance construction.
Morefield said he would look into a federal conduit bond he had recently learned of which allows funds through that to be earmarked by a governor for specific projects. He said he would share what he found with the CFX authority and the WV officials.
On the federal level, Belcher noted the Virginia CFX Authority has been working with its congressman and senators to get the Coalfields Expressway mileage added into the Appalachian Development Highway System. A portion of the roadway which overlays with U.S. 460 is designated as such, but the majority of the mileage is not. A bill has been drafted to include the additional mileage and will be submitted at the appropriate time to Congress for consideration and approval. The ADHS designation will make the roadway eligible for Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) funding.
Belcher indicated he would look into ways to work with West Virginia as a partner in the federal transportation grant process, adding he thought that a two-state application might have a better chance of being funded.
“The benefit of the highway is connection and it makes sense for us to work together,” Belcher said. “Any way we can, we will work with you. It will benefit all of us.”
CFX Authority board members in attendance in addition to Keen included Chris Hall, Dickenson County; and Ed Talbott and Philip Cook, Buchanan County. VDOT representatives in attendance included Tabitha Crowder and Marty Halloway.
West Virginia officials in attendance in addition to Compton were Nathan Thomas, Bill Murray, Josh Howell and Jonathan Schaffer. Dave Cramer, with Michael Baker International, was also in attendance. Todd Rumbaugh, WV Secretary of Transportation/Commissioner of Highways; and Jacob Bumgarner, WV DOH State Highway Engineer attended the meeting virtually.
About the Virginia Coalfields Expressway Authority: The Virginia Coalfields Expressway Authority was formed by the Virginia General Assembly in 2017 to improve transportation into, from, within and through Southwest Virginia; to assist in regional economic development; and to generally enhance highway safety in the affected localities of Southwest Virginia. The Coalfields Expressway, designated as U.S. Route 121 and a Congressional High Priority Corridor, is a proposed limited-access highway to provide a modern, safe and efficient transportation artery through the coalfields region of far Southwest Virginia and southern West Virginia. The Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority provides staff support to the authority board. www.vceda.us/cfxauthority.
(PHOTO CAPTION: Virginia CFX Authority Executive Director Jonathan Belcher (standing) updates members of the West Virginia Department of Transportation on progress made on the construction of the Coalfields Expressway in Virginia during a meeting between the authority and West Virginia officials, Monday in Princeton, WV.)