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Hi, this is Miranda Thacker with your KYTC Minute.
Governor Steve Beshear recently proposed a transportation project that's been greatly-anticipated
by many Eastern Kentuckians. Voice of Gov. Beshear: The Kentucky Highway
Plan that I will be recommending to the General Assembly will include a series of construction
projects by which the Mountain Parkway will be four-laned, lengthened, and thoroughly
modernized by the year 2020. Those projects total $753.6 million -- a figure that should
convey the scope and the magnitude of this initiative.
In fact, this week we mark the 51st anniversary of its dedication. It currently runs for 75.6
miles -- from Interstate 64 near Winchester, to Salyersville. The first 45.8 miles -- from
Winchester to Campton has long been four lanes. The rest is two lanes, with an occasional
passing lane. The first thing we're going to do is make
sure that that section -- the 29.8 miles from Campton to Salyersville is a four lane highway.
We then want to extend the parkway from Salyersville to Prestonsburg -- by four-laning the 16.2
miles of two connecting roads -- U.S. 460 and KY 114. At Prestonsburg, the new parkway
will connnect with the four lane U.S. 23. And this will create a modern four lane corridor
that runs all the way from I-64 near Winchester to Pikeville, Kentucky.
While work on the Mountain Parkway improvement project is proposed to begin this year, construction
efforts may intensify greatly by the end of 2015.
This has been your KYTC Minute. Visit transportation.ky.gov every Thursday for updated information.