Industrial access road funds serve approved industrial sites

The Division of Highways uses fund money to build and maintain roads serving qualifying industrial sites. Qualifying sites include existing or firmly contracted manufacturing, distribution, processing, economic development sites, and approved West Virginia Business Ready Sites. Fund money may also pay for signs, traffic signals, safety upgrades, and other improvements directly tied to an approved project. This provision takes effect July 1, 2026.

The Division of Highways approves, rejects, or comments on a proposed industrial access road location. The rule applies when a formal fund request would provide access to a new or expanding industrial site. The proposed location must be submitted for approval before the formal request for fund money. The Division must respond within 90 days after receiving the location submission.

Counties and municipalities must meet site-certification or surety requirements before fund money is spent, and projects must follow the fund's spending limits. The rules cover industrial access road projects funded in a county or municipality, including projects connected to approved Business Ready Sites. The site must be operating, firmly contracted for construction or operation, or approved under the Business Ready Sites Program, unless an acceptable surety or similar guarantee is provided. A previously awarded grant that was not fully spent before Business Ready Sites approval does not need a surety. The fund cannot pay for utility adjustments, roads on private property, or roads serving listed facilities such as schools, hospitals, shopping centers, or apartments. Unmatched funding is limited to $800,000 per county or municipality each fiscal year; matched funding from the fund is limited to $300,000 and must be equally matched from other sources. These requirements apply when fund money is allocated or spent, beginning July 1, 2026.