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Preliminary Report Recommends More Than A Billion Dollars In Spending

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A commission developing a plan for West Virginia's highway system says the state should spend more than $1 billion more each year to preserve and expand the road system.

The West Virginia Blue Ribbon Commission on Highways is recommending the state spend an additional $750 million a year on maintenance designed to preserve current state roads. It also recommended the state spend an additional $380 million a year on expansion projects. Media outlets report that the results are preliminary.

Parkways Authority officials said the recommended amount would increase by another $59 million a year if tolls are removed from the West Virginia Turnpike as scheduled in 2019.

A final plan must be approved by the full commission before it's presented to Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin in May.