Wise and Dickenson county residents met at Central High School to learn more about the possible changes to the proposed 2-billion dollar Coalfields Expressway. A new route would shift the connection to U.S. Highway 23 near Pound. The public information meeting was the first of two planned for Wise and Buchanan counties by the Virginia Department of Transportation. The Coalfields Expressway project team presented maps and documents before taking questions from nearly 150 interested citizens. Those changes were within the ten mile corridor already approved by the Commonwealth Transportation Board and the Federal Highway Administration so the area has passed environmental studies required by the corridor approval process. Tonight’s second meeting begins at 5pm at the Russell Prater Elementary School in Vansant. (bg)