West Virginia transportation officials are facing a multibillion-dollar funding gap as the state works to maintain its roads and bridges and keep major highway projects moving, according to WOWK-TV.

At the same time, Maryland is putting more than $14.5 million in federal funding toward efforts to reduce crashes and improve roadway safety across the state, according to CBS Baltimore.

West Virginia Faces a Major Funding Shortfall

West Virginia Transportation Secretary Todd Rumbaugh said the state is “underfunded by billions,” pointing to the growing cost of maintaining and improving its transportation system, according to WOWK-TV.

The funding challenge comes as West Virginia continues work on major highway projects, including Corridor H. An 11-mile, four-lane section of the highway opened in June, extending the long-running project farther into the state, according to the West Virginia Department of Transportation.

The state also has to keep its existing roads and bridges in working condition while funding large projects that can take years to complete. That puts additional pressure on an already limited transportation budget, according to WOWK-TV.

Major Projects Continue

Despite the funding concerns, West Virginia continues to move forward with major highway work.

Corridor H is one of the state's largest ongoing projects, eventually connecting Interstate 79 in north-central West Virginia with Interstate 81 in Virginia. The state has also been advancing projects tied to the Coalfields Expressway and King Coal Highway.

The latest Corridor H opening added 11 miles of four-lane highway between Kerens and Parsons in Randolph County, giving drivers a new section of the route while construction continues elsewhere, according to the West Virginia Department of Transportation.

Maryland Puts $14.5M Toward Safety

In Maryland, new federal funding is headed to 99 agencies and organizations working on traffic safety. The Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration's Highway Safety Office will distribute more than $14.5 million on Oct. 1, according to CBS Baltimore.

The grants are awarded based on traffic safety needs and crash data and will be available during federal fiscal year 2027, which runs through Sept. 30, 2027, according to the Maryland governor's office.

The money is going to local agencies, nonprofits and other organizations with programs focused on preventing crashes and reducing roadway deaths, according to CBS Baltimore.

What the Grants Will Fund

The funding will target several of the behaviors and roadway risks that contribute to crashes.

Programs will address impaired, aggressive and distracted driving, while other grants will support seat belt use and safety efforts for pedestrians, bicyclists and motorcyclists, according to CBS Baltimore.

The money will also support child passenger safety programs, law enforcement training, overtime traffic enforcement and improvements to Maryland's traffic data systems, according to CBS Baltimore.

The federal grants come in addition to nearly $675,000 in state-funded highway safety grants awarded in July, according to CBS Baltimore.

Maryland Roadway Deaths Remain a Focus

The new funding comes as Maryland reports a decline in roadway fatalities but continues to see hundreds of deaths each year.

In 2025, 486 people were killed on Maryland roads, including 111 pedestrians and 10 bicyclists. That was down from 582 roadway deaths in 2024 and was the state's lowest total in a decade, according to the Maryland governor's office.

As of Sept. 8, 298 people had died in crashes on Maryland roads in 2026, according to the Maryland governor's office.

Maryland's 2026-2030 Strategic Highway Safety Plan uses the Safe System Approach, which focuses on building multiple layers of protection into the transportation system so that mistakes are less likely to result in deaths or serious injuries, according to the Maryland governor's office.

Sources: WOWK-TV, CBS Baltimore