U.S. Route 121 is a proposed U.S. highway designated as the Coalfields Expressway, a four-lane highway stretching from Beckley, West Virginia, to Pound, Virginia, approximately in length. It is designed to connect Interstate 64 and I-77 in West Virginia near Beckley to US 23 in Wise County, Virginia, at Pound. 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 U.S. 23 in Pound, Virginia, in Wise County, and roughly follow Virginia State Route 83 in Buchanan County to West Virginia Route 83 in McDowell County, West Virginia. Then it will travel northeast through depressed areas of West Virginia, paralleling West Virginia Route 16 through Wyoming and Raleigh counties. It will then run toward an expanded Interstate 64/Interstate 77 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 June 2013, of US 121 is open to traffic in West Virginia, currently signed as West Virginia Route 121.
Construction started in 1999 with a three-level diamond interchange near Welch in western West Virginia. This will facilate traffic going between the King Coal Highway/Interstate 73/Interstate 74 and the Coalfields Expressway. Grading work was completed in 2003, but the interchange remains incomplete as of 2018. Further eastward, work is continuing on a segment of the Expressway in the vicinity of Sophia 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 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. Two contracts totaling $22.2 million are currently under construction. One projects 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 will be awarded to grade and drain an additional of US 121 near Helen. It is one of four projects on the horizon to extend the road to Mullens. Following the election of GovernorJim Justice in 2016, 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.
