CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Gov. Joe Manchin, along with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the West Virginia Division of Highways, will award more than $1.5 million for 15 projects across the state during a 3 p.m. ceremony on Tuesday, June 8, at the Culture Center. Funds are part of the 2010 Transportation Enhancement grant program.

The West Virginia Transportation Enhancement grant program is funded by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration. This federal program provides annual funding (through the SAFETEA-LU legislation) to West Virginia communities for non-traditional projects, such as improving safety for pedestrians and bicyclists, through the construction of sidewalks and trails, preservation of view sheds for highways, protection of historic resources, and further tourism development.

Listed by county, grant recipients for 2010 include:

•      Barbour - $158,760 to the Barbour County Commission for the Barbour County Courthouse Streetscape
•      Brooke - $129,600 to the Village of Beech Bottom for the Beech Bottom Sidewalk Improvements project
•      Grant - $20,000 to the Town of Bayard for Bayard Sidewalks 2010
•      Greenbrier - $80,000 to the Greenbrier County Commission/Greenbrier Historical Society for the Greenbrier County Barracks
•      Hancock - $104,328 to the City of New Cumberland for the New Cumberland Sidewalk Accessibility Improvements project
•      Hampshire - $88,000 to the Town of Capon Bridge for the Capon Bridge Sidewalks
•      Harrison - $120,774 to the Town of Lost Creek for the Lost Creek Train Depot Restoration 2010
•      Marshall - $54,800 to the City of Benwood for the Benwood Boggs Run Sidewalks
•      Mineral - $25,600 to the Mineral County Commission/Mineral County Historical Foundation for the Traveler’s Rest Visitor Center 2010
•      Morgan - $166,000 to the Morgan County Commission for the Bath Community Center Sidewalks; $80,000 to the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources/Cacapon State Park Foundation for the Cacapon State Park Old Inn Restoration
•      Ohio - $140,000 to the Town of Triadelphia for the Triadelphia Sidewalks project
•      Preston - $104,925 to the Town of Terra Alta for the Terra Alta Community Trail Upgrade
•      Randolph - $140,000 to the Beverly Historic Landmarks Commission for the Beverly Heritage Center 2010
•      Multi-county - $148,000 to the National Coal Heritage Area Authority for the National Coal Heritage Area Driving Tour