The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet and its engineering consulting partner have unveiled plans for a new access road from KY 15 to the Wendell Ford Airport in Perry County. Approximately 30 people, including local elected officials and residents, attended a public meeting on Oct. 11 at which the plans were displayed.
The 2022 General Assembly allocated $1.65 million for right of way acquisition and utility relocation for the project. Construction costs for the new road are estimated at $12.4 million. The current timeline is for construction to begin no later than 2024.
A new route is being proposed from the intersection of KY 15 and Trus Joist Road near the entrance to the Coalfields Industrial Park. The road would replace the existing route to the airport, which is narrow, steep, and prone to breaks in pavement. Design and environmental studies for the new alignment are currently underway.
The new road will stretch 1.74 miles from the intersection of KY 15 and Trus Joist Road near the Coalfields Industrial Park to the airport. The road will be less narrow, crooked, and steep than the existing route. It will feature a 40 mph design speed, lane widths of 11 feet with paved shoulders of 4 feet, and grades of no more than 5 percent. The project will also include improvements to the intersection of KY 15, Trus Joist Road, and the new route. It will improve access not only to the airport, but to those living in residential developments adjacent to the airport.
Written comments on the project are being accepted through Oct. 26 and can be provided to the project manager at the Department of Highways District 10 office in Jackson. Displays showing the proposed route can also be viewed at the district office located at 473 Highway 15 South, Jackson.