FAYETTE COUNTY, WV (SWVO) – Interstate 64, one of West Virginia’s major east-west highways, was originally planned to travel through Fayette County along the U.S. Route 60 corridor rather than passing through Beckley.
Early plans called for the interstate to generally follow U.S. 60 between Charleston and Lewisburg, passing through or near communities such as Gauley Bridge, Ansted, Hawks Nest, Hico, and Rainelle.
The proposed route would have placed a major interstate highway through northern Fayette County, potentially changing transportation and economic development throughout the region.
Although the interstate would have followed the general U.S. 60 corridor, it would not have simply replaced the existing highway. Construction would have required a new four-lane, controlled-access roadway through the mountainous terrain surrounding the New River Gorge.
The proposed alignment became the subject of years of debate, with construction costs, difficult terrain, and environmental concerns playing roles in discussions about the highway’s future.
In 1974, then-Gov. Arch Moore selected an alternative alignment that would take I-64 southwest from the Sam Black Church area toward Beckley, where it would connect with the West Virginia Turnpike and Interstate 77.
The decision redirected the interstate away from the original U.S. 60 corridor through Fayette County.
Construction continued over the following years, with the final section of I-64 between Beckley and Sam Black Church opening in 1988, completing West Virginia’s interstate highway system.
Had the original alignment been constructed, communities along U.S. 60 in Fayette County could have become part of a major interstate transportation corridor, while Beckley would not have developed into the I-64 and I-77 junction it is today.
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