Gov. Joe Manchin was in Logan last week to reassure area residents that he's not forgotten about State Route 10.

The winding and twisting road has long been considered one of the most dangerous highways in the state with the rock overhangs, the too-close-for-comfort rock cliffs jutting out into the road and the narrow stretches that barely let two vehicles pass at the same time.

Parts of Route 10 are currently under construction, but, recently, a report from The Associated Press listed road projects being funded through federal stimulus money recently appropriated by President Barack Obama.

The thing is, Logan County and Route 10 didn't receive a penny, which caused an uproar throughout Logan County. Even Logan County Commission President Art Kirkendoll, who has long been a proponent of the governor, expressed his disappointment over not receiving any stimulus money for the road in an exclusive interview with The Logan Banner recently.

Manchin said he knows how badly people who travel the road from Logan to Man need the construction of the new Route 10 to be completed.

"I've been working with Senate President Earl Ray Tomblin and he took me down and showed me the road. We're committed to getting the road completed. It's a very, very big project," Manchin said.

"I've been all through there. I've been on that road many times. It's something, especially the rock overhangs and the cliffs. When that was built, trains were carrying the coal. There wasn't the type of traffic on it that we have now. It's a whole different time."

The governor said there are several segments that have been completed that people might not see because they can't travel on them, but those segments need to be hooked up before any new work begins.

"This project has been worked on for years. People might not even see all the millions and millions that have been spent because they haven't been able to drive on those parts of the road. We have to start hooking some of that up now," Manchin said. "You only have a mile or two that you can drive on. We can get ourselves to the position in a short period of time to use four or five miles of it. We need to start committing to common sense and, instead of starting somewhere else, we need to finish hooking the road up (from 3 Mile Curve) to Man. That's a priority. That's something that's close to being completed, at least that much."

Kirkendoll said he was pleased the governor left the Legislature to come to Logan County for the public meeting held at 317 Steakhouse in downtown Logan. Manchin answered questions from the public and addressed the road problems, the economy and coal mining in Logan County.

"I think it shows just how much Gov. Manchin really cares about our area to leave the Legislature to hear our concerns," Kirkendoll said.