CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The proposed Harmony Grove interchange off I-79 got a renewed push from U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito during the West Virginia Association of Counties meeting in Charleston on Monday.
Capito came to Charleston to address county leaders when she learned the project had been moved down on the Department of Highways’ (DOH) priority list. On WAJR’s “Talk of the Town,” Monongalia County Commission president Tom Bloom said the project is not only needed to reduce truck traffic from Westover streets, but it is also vital to the growth of Mountaintop Beverage in the Morgantown Industrial Park.
Mountaintop Beverage is in the trial phase of production but is expected to employ more than 300 and process more than 75 million pounds of dairy products annually.
“I asked her if she could give a nudge to the state DOH to find out why they are putting this on the back burner,” Bloom said. “And that was not acceptable to her, and that was wonderful to hear.”
Capito and U.S. Senator Joe Manchin have promoted the project at the state and federal levels, including a visit to the Morgantown Industrial Park in September. According to Bloom, Capito has used her position on the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation to advocate for the project.
“She spoke in the committee then the next week the governor came out, then the week after that the DOH came out,” Bloom said. “So, it really started from Capito and I want to give her full credit and Manchin supporting it- that’s what we need.”
Bloom said the Monongalia County broadband expansion effort is being promoted as an example for the state and nation. Capito asked commissioners from Monongalia County to detail their plan to maximize the use of utility rights-of-way to construct a trunkline others can tap into.
“This happened in front of all of the county officials statewide; there are state and federal officials here; Monongalia County got put on the map,” Bloom said. “Not only for swimming, but for what we’re doing economically.”