State leaders are saying the Mountain Parkway in central and eastern Kentucky is nearing completion. Earlier this week Governor Andy Beshear visited eastern Kentucky to announce a four-lane expansion of the parkway in Magoffin County.
Jim Gray is Kentucky’s Secretary of Transportation. He said the proposed route was not their first choice.
“A route that has been supported by many people, many of the elected officials in the region, is to complete the last 13 miles entirely with a limited access four lane highway, which would give an, arguably, much safer route.”
He said they have a good estimate on the cost of the project.
“The last section is estimated to cost in the range of 320 to 340 million dollars. That’s what the current estimates are for this last section of the Mountain Parkway.”
The Mountain Parkway was first opened in 1963 and will ultimately run from Winchester in central Kentucky to Prestonsburg in eastern Kentucky.
Secretary Gray says finishing the expansion of the parkway will help connect more of eastern Kentucky to the rest of the commonwealth. He says it is expected to help bring more jobs and economic opportunities to the region. The parkway project is expected to be completed by 2027.
**In a sea of partisan news, WEKU is your source for public service, fact-based journalism. Monthly sustaining donors are the top source of funding for this growing nonprofit news organization. Please join others in your community who support WEKU by making your donation.
