The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) just celebrated the completion of a 20-year project that improved safety, connectivity, and economic opportunities in Southeastern Kentucky.
The new, wider Kentucky Highway 30 is open, and ready for use. It stands beside the old KY 30, which is in use for local traffic, and stretches for 33 miles, offering a safer drive for all drivers.
“This project demonstrates the power of infrastructure to boost the quality of life for Kentuckians by introducing a safer, faster route to keep them connected,” explained Governor Andy Beshear in a statement.
“This project shaved off half the time it took to go from Booneville to London, making life-saving emergency services quicker,” he added. “It also means locals can live here and have shorter commutes to work.”
“This visionary project is the culmination of decades of hard work and demonstrates the Team Kentucky spirit of what’s possible when we work together,” noted KYTC Secretary Jim Gray.
“The new KY 30 is more efficient for large trucks and commuters to navigate, gives stalled vehicles a place to safely stow in an emergency and it makes the scenic cross-county drive more enjoyable,” he said.
The 20-year project straightened a stretch that was previously curvy, a corridor stretching for 13.5 miles, which in turn reduced travel times and improved safety for motorists.
Gray also signed an official order designating a six-mile stretch of KY 30 in Jackson County as the “Marie Rader Highway,” after former state representative Marie Rader, who championed the project during her two-decade career in the legislature.
“This section of road provides a lifeline for the residents for today and the future,” Raeder said. “It provides safe travel to hospitals, jobs, education and recreation – also allowing residents to remain on family farms and homes. Thanks so much for all the parties involved in the success of KY 30.”
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Source: KYTC
