West Virginia (WOAY) – A report by TRIP, a major transportation research nonprofit, has found that thirty percent of West Virginia’s road and bridge conditions are poor or mediocre.
There is some good news, however. the report found that only 14% of roads and bridges in the Beckley area are poor or mediocre, with 69% classified as good.
Those numbers are far better than the ones reported in Morgantown, where more than half of the roads are poor or mediocre.
The state’s roads are some of the worst in the nation. However, the Department of Transportation says it is working on it.
The department says it is increasing investment in infrastructure repairs and that roads and bridges are still safe.
West Virginia Department of Transportation Secretary, Stephen Rumbaugh, said in a statement “Poor and structurally deficient does not mean unsafe. We would not ask our citizens to cross any bridge we would not willingly cross ourselves.”
The TRIP report says costs associated with road repairs are continuing to increase and could worsen West Virginia roads.
The Department of Transportation says it still faces a funding shortfall.
