BLUEFIELD, W.Va. -The John Nash Boulevard Gas Line Extension Project was celebrated with a groundbreaking ceremony and boots are already on the ground. This project has been in the works for seven years, but it is one expected to bring hundreds of jobs and provide more resources to the area.
“It is a fundamental need for economic development and the fact that there’s no gas out there now has hampered the development there and the creation of jobs. So, I think it’s a necessity as much as water, electricity, and broadband,” said Senator Shelley Moore Capito. With multiple partners involved, this resource is one that area leaders know is essential to expanding.
“It means access to gas for manufacturing purposes, but also for the homes, for heating, cooling and any other needs, I think hot water tanks and all of those things, it’s kind of given in a lot of places. So now it’ll become that part of essential living that I think it should be,” continued Senator Capito. The gas pipeline will extend six miles from Bluefield to the Cumberland Industrial Park near ext. 1, and with plans already made, leaders hope to soon release future developments.
“It’ll give us the opportunity to sell the rest of the remaining plats that are out in the industrial park, because now we’ll have all the utilities that companies are looking for,” said Frank Brady, Chairman of Development Authority of Mercer County.
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