CFX Construction Administration

The Coalfields Expressway (US Route 121) project is a proposed expressway owned by the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) connecting portions of extreme Southwest Virginia from Route 23 in Pound located in Wise County, Virginia to the West Virginia state line just north of Buchanan County, Virginia stretching 51 miles across Buchanan, Dickenson, and Wise Counties. The towns and communities in these areas currently have poor access to a modern highway system as a result of the mountainous terrain characterized by steep ridges and narrow valleys indigenous to the region. The Coalfields Expressway (CFX) is a project that would allow, with the implementation of a four lane highway, portions of extreme Southwest Virginia access to outlying commercial prospects.

T&L was retained by Kellogg, Brown & Root in August 2002 as a subconsultant for Roadway Engineering in the development of the CFX. Specifically, T&L provided:

• Extensive roadway design engineering for Section A;
• Coordination of a utilities relocation plan, including field inspections and utility relocation plans for water and sewer for Section A and coordination with local utility companies;
• Property and other related surveying; mine mapping; and
• Preliminary Engineering and Mine Evaluations for Sections B & C of the highway.

Since 2013, T&L has been providing Construction Administration and Project Management services to VDOT and AECOM for the U.S. Route 460 Connector Phase II Project in Buchanan County, Virginia. The approximate $108 Million project consists of:

• 6.2 miles of 4-lane divided highway constructed to rough grade;
• Coal Synergy which allows the contractor and VDOT to share in the value of incidental coal encountered within the project limits.

The Coal Synergy feature is coordinated through the Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals, and Energy (DMME) by means of a Government Financed Exemptions (GFE) permits in accordance with all federal and state legal requirements. In addition, certain roadway embankments are being constructed in accordance with DMME regulations for disposal of excess spoil in valley fills, head of hollow fills, and durable rock fills.

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