The West Virginia Division of Highways (WVDOH) awarded a $72.5 million contract on Oct. 28, 2025, to continue building the Coalfields Expressway, transportation officials announced.
It was by far the largest of a series of contracts the agency handed out recently for work across West Virginia, including 12 additional projects for road repairs in the wake of floods that hit the state in February and June of 2025
The Coalfields Expressway contract calls for building a 3-mi. connector road between Pineville and Twin Falls State Park, according to a press release from WVDOT.
Triton Construction of St. Albans, W.Va., won the expressway contract, WVDOH noted in the release.
"This project represents our commitment to continue progress on the Coalfields Expressway," West Virginia Transportation Secretary Stephen Todd Rumbaugh explained in the release. "By building a 0.52-mile connector road to Twin Falls State Park and also constructing three miles of two-lane mainline from just outside of Pineville, tying back in at Cabin Creek Road, the project creates greater mobility and safety in the area along with easier access to Twin Falls State Park."
Currently, a 14-mi. stretch of the Coalfields Expressway, known formally as U.S. Highway 121, is open for traffic, stretching between Sophia and Mullens. Another 5.12-mi. project connecting the town of Welch to W.Va. 16 as part of the project is set to be completed by next summer.
$3.7M to Flood-Damaged Roads
The dozen contracts handed out by the state's highway division totaled $3.7 million and were spread among three different construction companies. Rebuilding efforts will take place in 16 counties that saw extensive damage from this year's two large floods, which occurred almost exactly four months apart.
Heavy rains on Feb. 15 and Feb. 16, caused extensive flooding in southern West Virginia, initially closing more than 200 roads in Boone, Cabell, Greenbrier, Kanawha, Lincoln, Logan, Mercer, McDowell, Mingo, Monroe, Raleigh, Summers, Wayne and Wyoming counties.
Later, heavy rains and high water on June 14 and June 15 also caused major damage in Ohio and Marion counties.
The contracts were awarded following a special bid letting conducted by the WVDOH on Oct. 28.
Jake Bumgarner, the agency's state highway engineer, told WCHS-TV in Charleston that swift action was necessary to fix those damaged roadways to help residents get around safely.
"I'm glad we've gotten these contracts awarded so the people living in those flood-ravaged counties can get back to a semblance of normalcy as far as meeting their transportation needs," he said.
The following contracts were awarded to address the flood damage:
• GeoStabilization International LLC, a Canadian company with an office in Kentucky, has a $442,090 contract to work on a micropile slide repair, resurfacing and guardrail project on Panther Mohawk Road in Monroe County.
• West Virginia Paving Inc. of Dunbar, W.Va., is set to work on a $702,787 resurfacing project along W.Va. 20 in Nicholas County.
• The same company is at the site of a micropile slide repair and resurfacing project on U.S. Highway 19 in Marion County, following a bid of $709,680; and a $316,079 slide repair project on W.Va. 10 in Lincoln County.
• GeoStabilization International has another micropile slide repair and resurfacing project on W.Va. 83 in McDowell County, following a bid of $387,456.
• Close by, along W.Va. 80 near Bradshaw in McDowell County, the contractor also is set to tackle a $277,818 micropile slide repair and resurfacing project.
• Thaxton Construction Co. Inc. of Sissonville, W.Va., is in charge of making a $481,669 piling wall slide repair on W.Va. 103 in McDowell County.
• GeoStabilization International is handling yet another micropile slide repair and resurfacing job on Black Diamond Highway in McDowell County. That bid came in at $183,576.
• Thaxton Construction is working on a slide repair on Harts Creek Road in Logan County after bidding $99,961.
• Included among Thaxton Construction's three other jobs for the state is a $121,396 slide repair on Bens Creek Road in Mingo County; a $285,060 slide repair on Mill Creek Road in Wayne County; and a $199,948 piling wall slide repair on W.Va. 83 in McDowell County.
