The future of the Mountain Parkway running from just outside Winchester deep into eastern Kentucky has been a topic of interest for government and business leaders for more than a half century. The light at the end of the proverbial tunnel regarding an expansion is coming into view.
The State Capitol Rotunda is a popular spot for celebratory events. This week found time set aside to recognize infrastructure achievements. High on the list is ongoing work to see the entire Mountain Parkway from Clark County to Floyd County turned into a four-lane road. Governor Beshear said 100% of the project is either completed, under construction, or under contract. And that under-contract part has an Appalachian theme.
“In August we announced that Bizzack Construction is lead design build contractor for the final segment. This means that an eastern Kentucky company is gonna finish the four-laning of the Mountain Parkway with eastern Kentuckians doing the hard work,” said Governor Beshear.
The Rotunda event also included remarks from engineers. Marcia Gelder Murphy is president of the American Society of Civil Engineers. In addition to the significant safety aspects of going from two to four lanes, she said economic benefits will be seen in eastern Kentucky stretching to urban centers.