Section of Coalfields Expressway to be four-laned thanks to federal funding

GRUNDY, Va. (WJHL) — Additional lanes will be added to a section of Coalfields Expressway in Buchanan County thanks to new federal funding.

According to the Virginia Coalfields Expressway (CFX) Authority, $7 million for the project was included in budget bills recently signed by the president. The funds were sought by Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine and Rep. Morgan Griffith.

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The Virginia Department of Transportation will use the funds to expand the Coalfields Expressway between Grundy and Southern Gap from a two-lane to a four-lane.

The Buchanan County Board of Supervisors on Monday approved the 20% match required to receive the federal funds, according to the CFX Authority.

“With the $1.75 million match from Buchanan County, this will allow for the four-laning of the Coalfields Expressway from the Town of Grundy to Southern Gap, where it joins the first section already four-laned with the funds the CFX Authority obtained last year for Southern Gap to Route 609,” CFX Authority Executive Director Jonathan Belcher said in a release. “Effectively, this now means that except for a couple miles near the Breaks, US 460/121 (CFX) will now be a four-lane from Kentucky to the Town of Grundy.”

The first 2.5 miles of the Coalfields Expressway, which runs concurrent with the future US 460, opened last year.

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