West Virginia Route 108
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 West Virginia Route 108 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| King Coal Highway | ||||
 WV 108 highlighted in red | ||||
| Route information | ||||
| Maintained by WVDOH | ||||
| Existed | December 13, 2023–present | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| South end |   US 52 / US 460 near Bluefield | |||
| North end |  WV 123 near Bluefield | |||
| Location | ||||
| Country | United States | |||
| State | West Virginia | |||
| Highway system | ||||
| ||||
West Virginia Route 108 is the designation given to a highway currently open that is intended to be a part of Interstate 73 (I-73) and I-74. The first section opened near Bluefield. The state started this route in 2007, but the West Virginia Department of Transportation (WVDOT) did not have the funding to connect it to other roadways.[1] This delayed opening to traffic until 2023.[2]
WV 108 is a four-lane divided freeway up until Christine West Bridge; lanes on each side are currently being constructed so that the freeway will extend to Airport Road. WV 108 currently goes from US 52 and US 460 to WV 123 (Airport Road).
History
The King Coal Highway is thought to be intended to open West Virginia’s southern coalfields to economic development, so in the early 1990s, the West Virginia Department of Transportation (WVDOT) decided to start construction on a segment from US 52 and US 460 (John Nash Boulevard) to WV 123 (Airport Road). Construction started sometime in the 1990s, but due to a lack of funding, WVDOT had to wait until funding was available. In 2018, Gov. Jim Justice revitalized the project and brought back funding. On December 13, 2023, the section was complete and was opened to traffic after a ceremony.[3]
On February 20, 2024, people learned about the next segment of WV 108 from WV 123 (Airport Road) to WV 20 near Littlesburg Road.[4]
On November 4, 2024, Gov. Justice broke ground for the extension of WV 108, from Airport Road to Littesburg Road.[5]
Sometime in March, 2025, trees were being cut down to make way for the extension from Airport Road to Littlesburg Road.[6]
