§17-2B-4. Powers and duties of the commission.

The commission shall have the following powers, duties and responsibilities:

(a) To conduct a thorough and comprehensive study into the various ways and means of financing the construction and maintenance of a modern and efficient system of roads and highways which would be in addition to or in augmentation of or in conjunction with already existing roads and highways, with particular, but not exclusive, emphasis upon the feasibility, desirability and prudence of utilizing the imposition of tolls upon the users of such roads and highways, either alone or together with other means and methods of financing the construction and maintenance of the same;

(b) Special attention shall be given to planning, financing and construction of a modern highway connecting the Appalachian Corridor "G" highway at Chapmanville with Interstate Highway 64 at Huntington; and the planning, financing, and construction of Appalachian Corridor "H";

(c) To file an interim report as to its progress and tentative conclusions with the Governor, the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Delegates not later than the second Wednesday in January, in the year 1986;

(d) To file its final report with respect to its findings and conclusions, together with any legislation it deems appropriate to recommend and as it deems necessary to carry its findings and conclusions into effect with the Governor, the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Delegates not later than the second Wednesday in January in the year 1988;

(e) To employ such legal, technical, investigative, clerical, stenographic, advisory and other personnel as it deems necessary and needful and to fix the reasonable compensation of such persons as may be so employed;

(f) To request such information and data from any state officer or agency or from any political subdivision of the state as the commission may deem necessary to assist it in the performance of its duties and it shall be the duty of all such officers and agencies to cooperate with and assist the commission in and about the completion of its studies and deliberations;

(g) To confer with representative citizens and groups of the private, business and industrial sectors with respect to all matters deemed relevant to the study program of the commission; and

(h) To perform every other act necessary or desirable to carry out any of the other powers, duties or responsibilities enumerated in this article.