32 counties and cities to receive discretionary funding to resurface roadways, support economic development
FRANKFORT, Ky. (April 20, 2021) – Today, Gov. Andy Beshear announced renewed road and infrastructure repairs are coming for much of the commonwealth through a $5 million transportation investment. Nearly 60 miles of roadway will be resurfaced, repaired or built with the funding.
“Better roads make for a better Kentucky,” said Gov. Beshear. “This infusion of funding will improve the safety of routes Kentuckians rely on daily to stay connected within their communities. It also will fund new roadways to improve access and mobility.”
In 2020, Gov. Beshear announced a total investment of nearly $17 million in discretionary funds to improve local infrastructure. A total of 32 cities and counties will be included in the most recent $5 million funding award to complete nearly 70 projects.
The funding will be administered by the Department of Rural and Municipal Aid within the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC). A list of awarded projects is available here.
All but five of the awards are for roadway resurfacing projects that will address existing surface cracks, potholes, raveling and base failures. One award will fund a new access road to a convention center in Hopkinsville, reducing congestion during large events and providing emergency responders an alternate access route. Another $140,000 award will fund a new street in Cadiz, providing school buses a safer route while supporting new businesses in the area.
“Improving the condition of our roads is more than cosmetic,” said KYTC Secretary Jim Gray. “Good roads attract business and support economic development at a time when we need it most.”
Projects submitted to the Department of Rural and Municipal Aid for discretionary fund consideration were evaluated by the KYTC district staff to assess the condition of roads and determine the most critical needs based on factors such as safety, economic impact and traffic volumes.
“Many of the roads in Magoffin County are hard for folks to travel, for the residents who live there especially and for our school buses,” said Magoffin County Judge/Executive Matt Wireman. “They’re hard to maintain and they’re hard to clear when the snow hits. Thanks to this program, many roads in Magoffin County will be repaved using these funds. Thank you, Governor, for this allocation. We surely do appreciate it.”
North Industrial Drive in the City of Morgantown is one of the critical resurfacing projects selected for funding. The route provides access to the city’s largest industrial park, but the poor pavement conditions pose safety hazards to commercial and passenger vehicles. Without the significant state funding award, the city would be unable to finance the nearly $500,000 project to preserve this key economic corridor.
“With continued growth in Rowan County, it is essential to maintain our roads for our children to travel safely to school and our workforce to get to work,” said Rowan County Judge/Executive Harry Clark. “We would like to sincerely thank the Office of the Governor for the allocation for Rice Road and Caudill Cemetery Road – two of the most highly trafficked and populous roads in Rowan County. Being relatively lengthy roads, the county would not be able to afford these resurfacing projects totaling $125,875 and give them the attention they need without this help. We appreciate Gov. Beshear and our Transportation Cabinet.”
“On behalf of the Floyd County Fiscal Court and the residents of Floyd County, I would like to sincerely thank Gov. Beshear for his prompt attention to our county road needs and the awarding of these road funds,” said Floyd County Judge/Executive Robbie Williams. “After the most recent natural disasters coupled with revenue shortages, our county roads are in desperate need of repairs. Gov. Beshear has stepped up in our time of need, and again this shows his commitment to Floyd County and the region as a whole.”
The awardee for each project – the county fiscal court or city council – is responsible for administering the work and will be reimbursed by the Transportation Cabinet.
Read about other key updates, actions and information from Gov. Beshear and his administration at governor.ky.gov and about the state’s COVID response at kycovid19.ky.gov.
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