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U.S. Route 121 (US 121) is a proposed
U.S. highway The United States Numbered Highway System (often called U.S. Routes or U.S. Highways) is an integrated network of roads and highways numbered within a nationwide grid in the contiguous United States. As the designation and numbering of these h ...
designated as the Coalfields Expressway, a four-lane highway stretching from
Beckley, West Virginia Beckley is a city in and the county seat of Raleigh County, West Virginia, United States. It was founded on April 4, 1838. This city is the home of the West Virginia University Institute of Technology or West Virginia University, Beckley Campus. ...
, to Pound, Virginia, approximately in length. It is designed to connect Interstate 64 (I-64) and
I-77 Interstate 77 (I-77) is a north–south Interstate Highway in the eastern United States. It traverses diverse terrain, from the mountainous state of West Virginia to the rolling farmlands of North Carolina and Ohio. It largely supplants the ...
in
West Virginia West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the Bur ...
near Beckley to US 23 in
Wise County, Virginia Wise County is a county located in the U.S. state of Virginia. The county was formed in 1856 from Lee, Scott, and Russell Counties and named for Henry A. Wise, who was the Governor of Virginia at the time. History The Cherokee conquered the ...
, at
Pound Pound or Pounds may refer to: Units * Pound (currency), a unit of currency * Pound sterling, the official currency of the United Kingdom * Pound (mass), a unit of mass * Pound (force), a unit of force * Rail pound, in rail profile Symbols * Po ...
. While US 121 will not connect directly to US 21, it will intersect at the latter road's original alignment, now a part of I-77.


History

The Coalfields Expressway will depart from US 23 in Pound, Virginia, in Wise County, and roughly follow
Virginia State Route 83 State Route 83 (SR 83) is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. The state highway runs from U.S. Route 23 Business (US 23 Business) in Pound east to the West Virginia state line in Paynesville, where the highway continues as ...
(SR 83) in Buchanan County to
West Virginia Route 83 West Virginia Route 83 is an east–west state highway located within McDowell County, West Virginia. The western terminus is at the Virginia state line six miles (10 km) west of Jolo, where WV 83 continues west as Virginia State Route 83. T ...
(WV 83) in McDowell County, West Virginia. Then it will travel northeast through depressed areas of
West Virginia West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the Bur ...
, paralleling West Virginia Route 16 through
Wyoming Wyoming () is a U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the south ...
and
Raleigh Raleigh (; ) is the capital city of the state of North Carolina and the seat of Wake County in the United States. It is the second-most populous city in North Carolina, after Charlotte. Raleigh is the tenth-most populous city in the Southeas ...
counties. It will then run toward an expanded Interstate 64/
Interstate 77 Interstate 77 (I-77) is a north–south Interstate Highway in the eastern United States. It traverses diverse terrain, from the mountainous state of West Virginia to the rolling farmlands of North Carolina and Ohio. It largely supplants the ...
interchange near Beckley. The roadways US 121 will replace are deficient in the fact that the existing roadways have limited passing opportunities, steep grades, and low design speeds. As of October 2020, of US 121 is open to traffic in West Virginia (from the connector to WV 54 near Mullens and WV 16/ WV 97 in Sophia) is currently signed as West Virginia Route 121 (WV 121).


Virginia

In Virginia, the Coalfields Expressway will run for , following
Virginia Route 83 State Route 83 (SR 83) is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. The state highway runs from U.S. Route 23 Business (US 23 Business) in Pound east to the West Virginia state line in Paynesville, where the highway continues a ...
from the West Virginia border to U.S. Highway 23 in
Pound Pound or Pounds may refer to: Units * Pound (currency), a unit of currency * Pound sterling, the official currency of the United Kingdom * Pound (mass), a unit of mass * Pound (force), a unit of force * Rail pound, in rail profile Symbols * Po ...
. Near the Grundy - Vansant area,
U.S. Route 460 U.S. Route 460 (US 460) is a spur route of U.S. Route 60. It currently runs for 655 miles (1,054 km) from Norfolk, Virginia, at its parent route U.S. Route 60 at Ocean View to Frankfort, Kentucky, intersecting its parent route once ...
will become a new four-lane highway connecting the Coalfields Expressway with Breaks Interstate Park at the
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
/
Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...
border and Elkhorn City, Kentucky.


West Virginia

Construction started in 1999 with grading near Welch in western West Virginia. Work was completed in 2003. Further eastward, work is continuing on a segment of the Expressway in the vicinity of
Sophia Sophia means "wisdom" in Greek. It may refer to: *Sophia (wisdom) *Sophia (Gnosticism) *Sophia (given name) Places *Niulakita or Sophia, an island of Tuvalu *Sophia, Georgetown, a ward of Georgetown, Guyana *Sophia, North Carolina, an unincorpor ...
and Crab Orchard near Beckley totaling . Grading and preliminary paving operations have been completed, as well as the gradings and bridge construction for a diamond interchange for
West Virginia Route 54 West Virginia Route 54 is a north–south state highway located in southern West Virginia. The southern terminus of the route is at West Virginia Route 16 in Mullens. The northern terminus is at WV 16 and West Virginia Route 97 in Sophia. M ...
and a bridge over West Virginia Route 16. In November 2004, a contract was awarded for paving operations at a cost of $11.5 million from Surveyor Creek Road to the West Virginia Route 16 interchange. With this segment of the Expressway completed, a new tie-in will be complete from Surveyor Creek Road to five-lane West Virginia Route 16, as well as an interchange with
West Virginia Route 54 West Virginia Route 54 is a north–south state highway located in southern West Virginia. The southern terminus of the route is at West Virginia Route 16 in Mullens. The northern terminus is at WV 16 and West Virginia Route 97 in Sophia. M ...
. Two contracts totaling $22.2 million are currently under construction. One project involves grading and drainage operations on of US 121 from Big Ridge to Surveyor Creek Road that involves nearly of excavation. In the fall of 2013, two contracts were awarded to grade and drain an additional of US 121 near
Helen Helen may refer to: People * Helen of Troy, in Greek mythology, the most beautiful woman in the world * Helen (actress) (born 1938), Indian actress * Helen (given name), a given name (including a list of people with the name) Places * Helen, ...
. It is one of four projects planned to complete the road to Mullens. Following the election of
Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
Jim Justice James Conley Justice II (born April 27, 1951) is an American businessman and politician who has served as the 36th governor of West Virginia since 2017. Justice had a net worth of $1.2 billion in September 2018, making him the wealthiest person ...
in
2016 File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...
, the newly elected Governor began aggressively pushing for the highway's completion. Governor Justice requested $54.4 million for grading in Wyoming County. The construction would be financed through raising taxes. In an upcoming ballot issue to approve of road bonds, Governor Justice allocated $55 million to extend the road from Slab Fork to Mullens and eventually to Welch. The ballot issue passed. On October 1, 2020, the extension to Mullens opened at a ceremony attended by Governor Justice.


Major intersections

Mileposts are approximate.


References


External links


Official Virginia DOT Coalfields Expressway Web Site

Official West Virginia DOT Coalfields Expressway Web Site
Coalfields Expressway Authority. June 20, 2003.

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