Private Money, Public Roads

Private Money, Public Roads  

Publication: MetroNews
Release Date: 04/07/08

The state Department of Transportation is hopeful businesses will come forward and express interest in entering into partnerships to build new roads. A new state law allows for public-private partnerships. West Virginia joins 23 others states which already have the authority to get help from the private sector.

State Transportation Secretary Paul Mattox says more and more of the highway budget is being eaten up by the cost of maintaining 36,000 miles of existing roads in the Mountain State. He says the new law gives the DOH an innovative financial tool.

The DOH can now solicit proposals from private entities to do construction work. Mattox says the agency will enter into a comprehensive agreement to cover all aspects of the project from engineering to funding of construction.

Mattox already has a few projects in mind including the construction of a new U.S. Route 35 in Putnam and Mason counties.

"The projects were have in mind may have sufficient traffic on them, projects that are needed," he said. "But they are also projects that we don't have the public funds available to begin the construction now."

The private firm would have to build the road to meet federal and state regulations.

Secretary Mattox says he's not sure how much interest there will be, but he says he's anxious to give the new law a try.  "This allows us to tap into the private sector and the funding they have available for highway construction," he said