<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2jM1DG_1GqItkGv00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2jM1DG_1GqItkGv00" width="2048" height="1365" ></figure>ABINGDON, VA – (NOVEMBER 6, 2026) – The next projects to focus on in relation to advancing the Coalfields Expressway was a topic for discussion November 5 during a meeting of the Virginia Coalfields Expressway Authority in Abingdon, VA.The authority met at the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center. Representatives of the authority also attended a Commonwealth Transportation Board public meeting that afternoon at the higher ed center, to advocate for funding by the state to advance the expressway project which is seen in the region as the single most important economic development project for the future of the coalfield region.“The successful completion of the CFX requires a strong collaborative approach,” CFX Authority Executive Director Jonathan Belcher told members of the board during their meeting. “With all of the projects involving Corridor Q in Buchanan County now fully funded, the CFX Authority needs to identify and prioritize the next projects to focus on.”Ninth District Congressman Morgan Griffith attended the meeting, as did representatives from Sen. Mark Warner and Sen. Tim Kaine’s offices.Griffith addressed the board briefly, noting he, Warner and Kaine are all working together to try to move ahead a $7 million allocation of funding for the expressway through the Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) process.“We stand together on this and we have always done so,” Griffith said of the bipartisan effort among the three federal representatives on the expressway project. “We all know exactly how important it is to our region of the state.”Previously, the CFX Authority has agreed sections of the highway from Pound to Clintwood should be the next priority, which is why funding for projects in those areas was sought in the highly competitive federal BUILD grant program earlier this year. The CFX Authority did not receive those grants, although at least one of them received a ranking of “recommended” by the U.S. Department of Transportation reviewers.Belcher outlined examples of specific projects for which funding could be sought, including the proposed Pound connector section of the Coalfields Expressway near U.S. 23; as well as potential improvements to Business Route 23 in Pound and Route 83 from Pound to Clintwood; and along Rt. 744 in Buchanan County, all of which would support the overall expressway project. He suggested a planning meeting be held in early 2027 to further develop those specific concepts.He noted work is going forward with the region’s state legislators to seek additional funding through the General Assembly in the next two years to support the expressway project. Additionally, Belcher noted, if the federal government accepts another round of BUILD grant applications next year, funding will be sought from that program again.In other business, Belcher noted work continues with the region’s federal legislators on a draft bill to Congress that would add miles to the Appalachian Development Highway System (ADHS) which would allow for CFX miles to be included in the ADHS. Inclusion in the ADHS would then make the CFX in Virginia eligible to be considered for ARC funding, which is seen by the authority as critical to the completion of the road.Board members also heard from VDOT Bristol District Project Development EngineerMarty Holloway on current construction, including the Poplar Creek Phase B project in Buchanan County which when it opens next year, will see the roadway, which includes parts of the expressway, open all the way to the Kentucky state line.Wendy Thomas, a consultant for VDOT with WSP, gave board members an overview of the STARS (Strategically Targeted Affordable Roadway Solution) program and the Project Pipeline program, both of which are designed to help develop projects from the study phase to a ready to compete for funding status.Belcher also updated members on a meeting held in late August with West Virginia Department of Transportation officials to discuss the Coalfields Expressway project status in that state. He noted there appear to be opportunities to collaborate in the future on the project, but noted WV officials emphasized the department’s present focus is on the sections of the CFX from Welch, WV to Beckley, WV, part of which (around 18 miles) is completed and open and part of which is under construction. He added the West Virginia officials were not able to provide any estimate of when their sections of the CFX from the Virginia state line to Welch, WV would be completed, as these sections are currently unfunded in West Virginia and are not in its current transportation plan.Lastly, the board re-elected J.H. Rivers as chairman of the authority; and Scott Mullins as vice chairman for calendar year 2027.About the Virginia Coalfields Expressway Authority: The Virginia Coalfields Expressway Authority was formed by the Virginia General Assembly in 2017 to improve transportation into, from, within and through Southwest Virginia; to assist in regional economic development; and to generally enhance highway safety in the affected localities of Southwest Virginia. The Coalfields Expressway, designated as U.S. Route 121 and a Congressional High Priority Corridor, is a proposed limited-access highway to provide a modern, safe and efficient transportation artery through the coalfields region of far Southwest Virginia and southern West Virginia. The Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority provides staff support to the authority board. www.vceda.us/cfxauthority.(Photo Caption: Members of the Virginia CFX Authority Board met in Abingdon, VA Thursday to begin the discussion related to the next projects to focus on in relation to advancing the Coalfields Expressway. Representatives of the authority also attended a Commonwealth Transportation Board public meeting that afternoon to advocate for funding by the state to advance the expressway project which is seen in the region as the single most important economic development project for the future of the coalfield region.)</div></body>

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ABINGDON, VA – (NOVEMBER 6, 2026) – The next projects to focus on in relation to advancing the Coalfields Expressway was a topic for discussion November 5 during a meeting of the Virginia Coalfields Expressway Authority in Abingdon, VA. The authority met at the Southwest Virginia Higher Education...

Virginia CFX Authority Eyes Future Project Planning

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ABINGDON, VA – (NOVEMBER 6, 2026) – The next projects to focus on in relation to advancing the Coalfields Expressway was a topic for discussion November 5 

Virginia CFX Authority Eyes Future Project Planning - NewsBreak

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Virginia CFX Authority Eyes Future Project Planning

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