West Virginia slated to receive more than $500M for bridges
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — West Virginia is slated to receive more than $500 million to repair and upgrade bridges across the state, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Federal officials announced last week that West Virginia would receive the funding over the next five years, starting with $101.3 million for fiscal year 2022, the Charleston Gazette-Mail reported.
The state has one of the highest percentage of structurally deficient bridges in the country, according to an analysis of federal data by the American Road and Transportation Builders Association. The number of West Virginia bridges that need repair increased from 1,222 in 2016 to 1,545 in 2020, the organization found.
The funding comes from a bipartisan infrastructure law passed by Congress in November.