As the Kentucky General Assembly continues to meet during the coronavirus global pandemic, the House passed a six-year road plan Wednesday.
A major project for Christian County in the upcoming budget included in the road plan is funding for early phases of reconstruction of the Pennyrile Parkway interchange at the MLK Bypass to bring it up to interstate standards.
The proposed plan does include $500,000 in the upcoming budget for design phases of a new connector road from the Industrial Park on Pembroke Road to KY 115 near the I-24 interchange and there’s about a million dollars for design phases of minor widening of KY 115 from Anderson Road to just south of Pembroke.
There are also funds to install lighting at the KY 115-Interstate 24 interchange.
The House plan includes about $3.5 million in the new budget for utility work on reconstruction of a section of North Drive from West Seventh Street to Sanderson Drive. The plan proposes $5.9 million in 2022 for right of way acquisition and utility work to widen West Seventh Street from North Drive to the US 68-Princeton Road split.
In Todd County, there are funds for minor widening of US 79 in the area of the Novelis plant and about $1 million for early phases of reconstruction of the so-called Guthrie knot. The final product would include a new intersection with KY 181 and KY 294.
Representative Myron Dossett of Pembroke is pleased with the House plan, but says it’s likely the revenue projections used to fund the plan will have to be looked at again when the COVID-19 pandemic is over and businesses and industries reopen.
He expects legislators to remain in Frankfort and to get a final budget and road plan passed as soon as next week.
Dossett says better days are ahead and urges Kentuckians to not panic and to get their information from credible sources.