CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WTRF) – This Infrastructure Week analysts at QuoteWizard found the mountain state ranked third worst in the nation for road conditions, right behind Rhode Island and Oklahoma.
Driving country roads, West Virginians are familiar with the potholes and damage incurred to their vehicles. This isn’t anything new. But a financial advisor says a big reason, in part, is companies doing the damage aren’t paying their way.
The study found 31 percent of the state’s roads are in poor condition, with 18 percent of the bridges structurally deficient. Each West Virginian driver is paying over $700 from poor road conditions.
COVID-19’s economic impact on West Virginia has left many industries and workers devastated with a potential 47 million out of work nationally. But fixing the roads comes with an age old problem: Who will pay for it?
The financial advisor says it’s not through more taxes, it’s through holding companies coming into our state accountable.
“A lot of states have gone to, when you see this increase in the gas and oil industry, and they have this increase in oil trucks, boxtrucks, water trucks, they’ve added to the oil companies themselves a surcharge to help maintain the roads. West Virginia hasn’t done a very good job of that,” said Jason Haswell, a Financial Advisor with The Monteverde Group, LLC.
These damaged roads bring up a number of concerns. For instance, how will folks staying at home during this pandemic get access to the things they need? Can delivery drivers even reach them in some areas?
These questions still need to be answered by state leaders.
