Road plan to be changed

By Greg Bird
birdman@tmcvoice.com

Representative Ken Upchurch said the 6-year road plan released to the public last week is only a preliminary proposal submitted by Governor Andy Beshear, and promised the finalized version, due to be passed some time in March.
Upchurch, who chairs the House Transportation Committee, stated the proposal came from the Governor, but the legislature will have final say on what roads are included in the final bill.

The Representative said the proposal to widen U.S. 27 from the McCreary County Park to Whitley City Elementary, a bridge over the rail line in Strunk, and other local projects would be included in the bill presented by the legislature.
The current proposal has about $11 million allocated for road projects in McCreary County, including $9.5 million for resurfacing a portion of the new KY 92. It also allocates $620,000 for work on the bridge over Rock Creek on Old Fidelity Farm Road and $341,000 to replace guardrails on KY 700.
There was also $1.5 million allocated for the preliminary engineering and environmental study in 2023 for the development of KY-92 from Stearns to Monticello as a scenic route. The plan would call for making the roadway safer by “softening” some of the curves, and installing scenic overlook spots along the route to encourage tourism traffic along the road.