CHARLESTON, WV – Governor Jim Justice signed another major piece of legislation (Senate Bill 1003) today that is essential to his unprecedented road building initiative. The bill establishes a one-time annual user fee for West Virginia drivers to ride for FREE through the WV Turnpike tolls. SB 1003 will protect a vital source of road money— currently, 76% of the Turnpike toll revenue is from out-of-state drivers. The bill gives the West Virginia Parkways Authority the ability to issue revenue bonds to finance road projects, and allows tolls to be collected electronically. The bonds connected to the toll revenue are for projects in the geographical regions of the Turnpike. Governor Justice said with a big smile, “Coalfield projects will finally get done.”
“This legislation lets our people drive for free and let’s us jumpstart our economy through the creation of tens of thousands of highway construction jobs,” Governor Justice said. “This is revolutionary for West Virginia. This is a win-win for the Mountain State, and I’m excited beyond belief to see all of the road projects begin immediately.”