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April 24, 1998
The Coalfields Expressway Authority met at 10:00 AM on Thursday, April 23, 1998 for its regular monthly meeting
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PINEVILLE--The Coalfields Expressway Authority met at 10:00 AM on Thursday, April 23, 1998, for its regular monthly meeting.
Chairman D. Michael Goode opened the meeting. The minutes of the March 26, 1998, meeting of the Coalfields Expressway Authority were approved as submitted. Chairman Goode then turned the meeting over to Richard Browning, Executive Director of the Coalfields Expressway Authority.
Mr. Browning reported on the status of the federal highway legislation now labeled the Building Efficient Surface Transportation and Equity Act of 1998 (BESTEA). Mr. Browning stated that both houses of Congress had passed versions of the legislation and now both bills were in the hands of a conference committee made up of members of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. Mr. Browning told the members of the Authority that Jim Zoia of Congressman Rahall's office had assured him that in the house bill, the Coalfields Expressway still had its priority status.
Mr. Browning reported on the success of the recent informational public meetings held in each of the three counties the highway traverses. Mr. Browning reported that attendance at each of the meetings was excellent and did impress West Virginia Division of Highways (WVDOH) officials as well as the consultants from Michael Baker Jr., Inc., the consulting firm hired by WVDOH to develop the highway thus far. Attendance at the meetings approached 350 people. Congressman Rahall attended the Pineville meeting. Mr. Browning reported that from these meetings, officials in WVDOH had accumulated more of the information that the Federal Highway Administration required in determining the final route of the highway. James Colby, WVDOH representative on the Coalfields Expressway Authority, explained that a decision by WVDOH on the final route would be made in the next few months.
Mr. Browning presented the board with the latest status report on the Coalfields Expressway. The report now states that construction of the Coalfields Expressway would begin in early 2000. Mr. Colby, however, stated that Governor Underwood is pushing for construction of the Welch interchange of the Coalfields Expressway and I-73/74 to begin during the summer construction season of 1999. Mr. Browning provided for the Authority members legal advertisements which appeared in the Charleston Gazette and Charleston Daily Mail this past week requesting bids for consulting services that will be utilized for the study, design, and preparation of contract plans and related documents for the interchange. Mr. Browning hailed this as a very significant step in the development of the highway.
Mr. Browning shared with authority members a letter which he and Chairman Goode had received announcing a Southern West Virginia Transportation/Economic Development Summit to be held in Charleston on Wednesday, May 6, 1998. Mr. Browning and Mr. Colby urged all members of the authority to attend and participate in this event.
Mr. Browning then discussed with the members the hiring of Mr. Sam Bonasso as Secretary of Transportation. Several members suggested arranging a meeting with Mr. Bonasso as soon as he assumes his duties in June.
Mr. Browning shared with the authority members a letter from David Bender, Division Administrator of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), to Senator Byrd. In the letter that Senator Byrd forwarded to Mr. Browning, Mr. Bender answered Senator Byrd's inquiry as to why the FHWA asked WVDOH officials to provide more information before the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) could be approved.
Mr. Browning informed the authority members that he had a brief discussion with Governor Underwood concerning the Coalfields Expressway when Governor Underwood visited War, WV, on Wednesday as he traveled through McDowell County. Mr. Browning stated that he provided maps of the Expressway for the meeting and Mr. Caffrey stated that the maps were an integral part of the town meeting with Governor Underwood.
Mr. Browning invited members to examine the press notebooks containing clippings concerning the Coalfields Expressway at their leisure. Mr. Caffrey stated that the notebooks were important historical documents in the development of the highway.
Ms. Susan Stewart, Administrative Assistant, then provided the members with a monthly financial statement, which the members approved unanimously.
The next meeting of the Coalfields Expressway Authority will be held at 10:00 AM on Thursday, May 28, 1998, at the Coalfields Expressway Authority offices in Pineville, WV.
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