"Entering Mountain Parkway" [details]

The Mountain Parkway, known as the Eastern Kentucky Turnpike during planning, opened as a toll road in 1963 and was widely heralded as opening up eastern Kentucky to the rest of the state. In 1976, the road was renamed the Bert T. Combs Mountain Parkway in honor of the former governor who is widely credited with getting the road built. Tolls were lifted west of Campton in 1985 and to the east the following year.

The Mountain Parkway was the first parkway to be constructed and the first parkway to have its tolls removed; however, it was the second toll road in state: it was proceeded in construction and lifting of tolls by the Kentucky Turnpike.

The road is four lanes west of Campton and two lanes to the east. The entire length of parkway is full-controlled access. The two lane portion is a super-two . For added safety, the two lane portion has a rumble strip down the centerline of the highway. This serves to alert drivers who may be drifting into the oncoming lane. The two lane portion of the parkway is designated in route logs as the Mountain Parkway Extension.

In April of 1985, the road was designated was KY 114 in official route logs. In August of that year, it was redesignated KY 402. Finally, in February of 1990 the parkway was given its original route log designation: KY 9000 for the four lane portion and KY 9009 for the two lane portion. I do not know if the parkway was ever signed as KY 114 or KY 402. The parkway is currently only signed as the Bert T. Combs Mountain Parkway; however, some maps still show the parkway as KY 402. (The KY 402 route number is now used to designated an old section of KY 80 in western Kentucky.)

Present day KY 114 between Saylersville and Prestonsburg appears to be considered by some residents to be part of the Mountain Parkway extension; however, it is designated the Saylersville-Prestonsburg Road in official route logs.

• The parkway is 75.627 miles long. The four lane portion is 43.104 miles long; the two-lane portion (known as the Mountain Parkway Extension) is 32.523 miles long.
• The four lane portion is designated as state route KY 9000 in official route logs, and the two lane portion is designated as KY 9009 in official route logs.

Related images: [3 images related to this topic.]

Related news topics: [Clark County] [KY 114] [KY 402] [Magoffin County] [Morgan County] [Powell County] [Wolfe County]

Mountain Parkway News Items

	“Hoax” Claims Mountain Parkway Rest Area to be Closed Posted: 20-Aug-2004 5:34AM CDT Topics: [Bert T. Combs Mountain Parkway] [Powell County] [Travel Information] In late July, someone posted signs at the Slade rest area claiming that the Mountain Parkway’s only rest area would be closed. The signs suggested that motorists call Frankfort to stop the closing; however, the state has no plans to close the rest area. Though, the state is looking for someone else to take on the financial responsibility of running the facility: Lexington Herald-Leader: Mountain Parkway rest area to stay open (July 29, 2004) , Lexington Herald-Leader: Try this slogan: Don't mess with our rest area (July 30, 2004)  [URL for This Item]
	Over Two-hundred Photographs Added Posted: 25-Jul-2003 11:36AM CDT Topics: Topic listing supressed. [71 topics related to this item] Two-hundred-and-sixty-two photographs of Kentucky's roads have been added to this website. The new photo galleries include: Bridges of the Ohio River - Several of Kentucky's 40 bridges across the Ohio River. William H. Harsha Bridge Photographs - Photographs of Kentucky's first cable stayed bridge: the William H. Harsha bridge near Maysville. I-64 - Sherman Minton Bridge - The I-64 and US 150 bridge over the Ohio River in Louisville. Shortway Bridge - The Old KY 1120 bridge over the Licking River between Kenton and Campbell Counties. I-65 - John F. Kennedy Bridge - The I-65 bridge over the Ohio River at Louisville. US 31 - George Rogers Clark Memorial Bridge (Second Street Bridge) - The US 31 bridge over the Ohio River at Louisville. I-65 - Miscellaneous Images KY 30 - Miscellaneous Images - Photographs of the new section of KY 30 under construction in Laurel County. I-65 Warren County Construction - June 29, 2001 I-65 Warren County Construction - May 22, 2002 I-65 Warren County Construction - August 15, 2002 I-65 Warren County Construction - July 5, 2003 I-75 - Miscellaneous Images - Includes photographs of I-75 widening projects south of Lexington. William H. Natcher Bridge - October 26, 2002 William H. Natcher Bridge - February 8, 2003 Louisville - Miscellaneous Images KY 3 and KY 645 - Inez - January 3, 2003 AA Highway - Miscellaneous Images KY 67 - Miscellaneous Images KY 80 - Miscellaneous Images - Along KY 80 in Pulaski and Laurel Counties. KY 101 and KY 259 - Edmonson County - November 18, 2001 - A new section of KY 259 and KY 101 under construction in Edmonson County. US 23 - Miscellaneous Images US 60 - Miscellaneous Images - Photographs of the Cumberland and Tennessee River bridges. A few new images have been added to the KentuckyRoads.com - Miscellaneous Signs and KentuckyRoads.com - General Images galleries as well. [URL for This Item]
	Recent Professional Services Procurement Bulletins Posted: 31-Dec-2002 8:25AM CST Topics: [Campbell County] [Clark County] [Interstate 65] [Jefferson County] [KY 3368] [KY 9] [KY 974] [Bert T. Combs Mountain Parkway] Recent Professional Services Procurement Bulletins  include a study on rebuilding the interchanges on I-65  near the University of Louisville, a study on rebuilding KY 9 in urban Campbell County , and studies about constructing two new interchanges on the Mountain Parkway . [URL for This Item]
	Parkways System and Cumberland Gap Tunnel Named Kentucky's Top Road Projects Posted: 30-Dec-2002 3:59AM CST Topics: [Audubon Parkway] [Bell County] [Martha Layne Collins Blue Grass Parkway] [Cumberland Gap] [Louie B. Nunn Cumberland Parkway] [Daniel Boone Parkway/Hal Rogers Parkway] [Commonwealth of Kentucky] [Bert T. Combs Mountain Parkway] [William H. Natcher Parkway] [Edward T. Breathitt Pennyrile Parkway] [Julian M. Carroll Purchase Parkway] [Wendell H. Ford Western Kentucky Parkway] The American Road and Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) has named Kentucky's parkway system and the Cumberland Gap Tunnel as Kentucky's top road project. They also recognized Wendell Ford and Calvin Grayson as the state's top transportation officials. More information: KYTC Press Release  [URL for This Item]
	KYTC Closes Some Rest Areas; Opens Others Posted: 6-Sep-2002 10:15PM CDT Topics: [Hart County] [Interstate 64] [Interstate 65] [Interstate 75] [Commonwealth of Kentucky] [Madison County] [Bert T. Combs Mountain Parkway] [Ohio County] [Powell County] [Shelby County] [Warren County] [Wendell H. Ford Western Kentucky Parkway] The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet will be closing several rest areas and opening a few new ones over the next few years. Two rest areas on I-64 in Shelby County, three rest areas on I-65 in Warren County and Hart County, and two rest areas on I-75 in Madison County will soon be or have already been closed; however, Kentucky is planning to build two new rest areas on I-65 in Hart County, and a one large rest area to serve both northbound and southbound traffic will be built on I-75 in Madison County. The new Madison County rest area will have parking for 400 cars, 100 trucks, and 13 oversized vehicles. More information: Courier-Journal: Kentucky will spend millions to open new rest stops (Aug. 31, 2002)  The article also briefly mentions the rest area on the Mountain Parkway and the service area on the Western Kentucky Parkway. [URL for This Item]
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