Governor Kaine Announces $2 Million Grant to Coalfields Expressway U.S. Route 460 Connector Projects
– State to partner with private sector in preliminary project development activities –
RICHMOND – Governor Timothy M. Kaine today announced that a $2 million grant from the Transportation Partnership Opportunity Fund will be used by the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) and its private sector partners Pioneer Group, Inc. and Alpha Natural Resources, LLC, a subsidiary of Alpha Natural Resources, Inc., to initiate preliminary project development activities on the Coalfields Expressway and U.S. Route 460 Connector projects.
The proposed Coalfields Expressway would be a new four-lane highway stretching 51 miles from Pound in Wise County, through Dickenson and Buchanan counties. It will link with the West Virginia Coalfields Expressway near Paynesville, West Virginia. The Route 460 Connector will link the Coalfields Expressway to Kentucky.
“This grant supports our continued use of design-build contracting techniques and other innovative tools to deliver critical transportation projects,” said Governor Kaine. “Partnership with the private sector is essential to the success of this approach, and I am pleased we have identified strong partners such as Pioneer and Alpha.”
The grant will be used to examine alternative alignments for these facilities that may reduce project costs by maximizing the recovery of coal reserves during construction. The award will advance engineering activities by Pioneer and Alpha under a Public-Private Transportation Act agreement reached in January.
“Leveraging the coal resources of this region is the only viable financing strategy for the Coalfields Expressway and Connector,” said Secretary of Transportation Pierce Homer.
“This effort will continue to build on our experience from the construction of the King Coal Highway in West Virginia.” said Michael J. Quillen, president and CEO of Alpha Natural Resources, Inc.
“We’re pleased to be working on this project, which holds so much promise for the future of this region,” said Clyde Stacey, representing Pioneer Group, Inc.
The Transportation Partnership Opportunity Fund was established by the Virginia General Assembly in 2005 to provide grants and other financial incentives to advance design-build and other innovative contracting and financing methods, with particular emphasis on economic development projects.
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