Ribbon-cutting held today for one of the final two phases of Corridor Q in Buchanan County

BRISTOL — Federal, state and local officials gathered in Buchanan County today to celebrate a significant milestone in the development of a new transportation corridor in the Appalachian region.

Virginia Secretary of Transportation W. Sheppard Miller III, Congressman Morgan Griffith, Virginia Senator Todd Pillion, Delegate Will Morefield, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), members of the Coalfields Expressway Authority and VDOT’s partner, Bizzack Construction, LLC, held a ribbon-cutting to celebrate the opening of Poplar Creek Phase A, which comprises nearly three miles of Corridor Q (known as Route 460/121, or Coalfields Expressway) located between the Southern Gap redevelopment site and Route 604 (Poplar Creek Road).

“With the opening of Poplar Creek Phase A, we are one step closer to the completion of Corridor Q in Virginia,” said Virginia Secretary of Transportation W. Sheppard Miller III. “This road, which has been decades in the making, will ensure a stronger connection between Virginia and Kentucky, support future economic development, and enhance the quality of life for residents of this beautiful region of the Commonwealth.”

Following the completion of Poplar Creek Phase A, which is 2.74 miles in length, only 2.07 miles of Corridor Q construction remain in Virginia. The last portion of Corridor Q under construction is the Poplar Creek Phase B portion, scheduled to open in late 2027.

Poplar Creek Phase A is a limited-access, four-lane highway located between the east end of Route 460/121 (Hawks Nest section), which opened to traffic in November 2023, and Route 604 (Poplar Creek Road).

“I wish to thank our local and state officials, VDOT and its contractors for their hard work and dedication in seeing this project through. I also want to thank our federal officials for helping to secure the federal funding necessary to complete this section of four-lane highway," said Jonathan Belcher, Virginia Coalfields Expressway Authority executive director. "The opening of this section further extends the Coalfields Expressway in Virginia and greatly enhances the transportation access, quality of life, and economic development of this entire area. Southwest Virginia and Buchanan County are open for business, and this road is helping to pave the way for a brighter future for the coalfield region.”

A key feature of the project is the longest and deepest triple 7’x7’ precast box culvert in Virginia (1/2 mile), which is covered by 310-feet of fill. More than 12 million cubic yards of earth were moved to build this new section of road, which was constructed at a cost of about $200 million.

When completed, Phase B will include the third-tallest bridge in Virginia, with the state’s tallest bridge also located along Corridor Q near the Virginia/Kentucky state line and Breaks Interstate Park. The tallest bridge in Virginia — the Route 460 bridge over Grassy Creek in Buchanan County — opened to traffic in November 2020.

Once the federally designated Corridor Q near Grundy in Buchanan County is finished, it will provide a modern highway between the Kentucky state line and Christiansburg.

Bizzack has been VDOT’s partner for the final 14 miles of Corridor Q construction in Virginia.

“Bizzack Construction’s commitment to Corridor Q has been invaluable, and we’re grateful for their collaboration,” said VDOT Commissioner Stephen Brich, P.E. “Together, we’re proud to advance toward the full realization of this highway in Virginia.”

Corridor Q, designated as U.S. Route 460, is part of the National Highway System and also part of the Appalachian Development Highway System (ADHS). ADHS is the centerpiece of the Appalachian Regional Commission’s effort to foster economic and social development in the multi-state Appalachian region.

The Virginia portion of Corridor Q in Buchanan County shares a portion of its alignment with proposed Route 121 (Coalfields Expressway). Corridor Q extends 127.5 miles eastward from the Virginia/Kentucky state line near Breaks to Interstate 81 near Christiansburg.