UPDATED: 3:10 p.m.
The six-year Kentucky road plan that awaits Gov. Steve Beshear’s signature contains more than $368 million in funding for projects in the Jackson Purchase.
The plan, approved by state lawmakers earlier this week, includes more than $175 million in funding for McCracken County projects alone. Those include a major widening of U.S. 62, a new I-24 interchange at KY 994 and a new access road from KY 305 to the Ohio River Megapark.
Calloway County will receive $9.3 million for safety improvements to 16th street on the campus of Murray State University – most of that allotted for fiscal year 2018.
MSU chief facilities officer Kim Oatman said even though the $9.3 million figure represents the high end of projections of an elevated roadway/pedestrian underpass combination, the cost and final design of the project might change over the next couple years. He said the initial $800,000 in funding - set to kick in at the beginning of fiscal year 2015 - will be used in a lengthy design phase that will include selecting an engineer and public hearings.
Additional funding in Calloway County will go toward the construction of a roundabout at the "five points" intersection and a major widening of U.S. 641 from Murray to the Tennessee state line.
Marshall County will receive more than $64 million under the plan, most of that going to I-69 Corridor improvements to the Julian M. Carroll Purchase Parkway.
Just outside the Purchase, Trigg County will receive $222 million over the next three fiscal years, mostly toward the construction of a new bridge over Lake Barkley.
The six-year road plan consists of House Bill 237 outlining the first years of the plan, with House Joint Resolution 62 making up the latter four years.
To see which projects received funding in your county, click here for 2014-2016 and here for 2017-2020.
