The next phase of planning for the newest segment of the Mountain Parkway Expansion is set to begin this month.
In June, the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) awarded the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) a $55 Million federal Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) grant to partially fund construction on the Wolfe County segment of the Mountain Parkway Expansion. Preparation for this segment will move forward as KYTC begins delivering letters to impacted property owners along the Parkway, detailing the purchasing needs for land surrounding the project site.
“Receiving the federal funding to continue work on the Mountain Parkway was an incredible win for Kentucky,” says Marshall Carrier, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet’s project manager for the Mountain Parkway Expansion. “Our team is excited to start laying the groundwork needed to begin this segment, including communicating directly with the Wolfe County community, so they know what to expect as this project unfolds.”
Property owners along the route will begin to receive letters in the mail within the next week, as the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet reaches out to begin discussions on acquiring the necessary Right of Way for the project.
Residents of Wolfe County may have already spoken with members of the Mountain Parkway Expansion team, as archaeologists began surveying land in mid-June, following the USDOT’s announcement of the grant.
“It’s important to our team that we’re keeping an open flow of communication with the residents and property owners of Wolfe County as the project progresses,” says Carrier. “Construction on this segment likely won’t begin until 2022, but it’s important that the people of Wolfe County remain informed in the months and years leading up to construction.”
The Wolfe County segment of the Parkway runs from the end of the four-lane section on the Mountain Parkway near Campton, at mile marker 45.8, to just west of the Lee City/West Liberty interchange (KY 205), at mile marker 56.8.
The federal funding will be used to upgrade the last remaining two-lane section of the Mountain Parkway corridor between Interstate 64 and Salyersville; provide for the reconstruction of the existing Campton interchange (KY 191) to allow full eastbound and westbound access; reconstruct the Hazel Green interchange (KY 1010) to improve safety and mobility; and improve the overall safety and efficiency of travel through the corridor.
Construction on this segment is scheduled to begin during the calendar year 2022, with the intention to complete construction by summer of 2027.
To get the latest updates on the Wolfe County segment and other sections of the Mountain Parkway Expansion, follow The Mountain Parkway Expansion on Facebook and Twitter, and see the project website for maps, graphics, and additional project details.
The Mountain Parkway Expansion is a 46-mile transportation improvement project that will create a wider, safer connection between Eastern Kentucky and the rest of the Commonwealth. It is a key transportation project designed to close the only gap in a 400-mile, four-lane, high-speed corridor for commerce and mobility across Kentucky from Pikeville to Paducah. The project will widen 30 miles of the existing parkway to four lanes and extend the parkway by about 16 miles between Salyersville and Prestonsburg.
For additional information, go to http://www.mtnparkway.com
