The 60-day regular session of the Kentucky General Assembly ended on April 13. Thirteen bills relating to transportation were passed into law during the 2004 regular session. Click “read full text” below for summaries of each bill.

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When the 2004 Recommended Six-Year Highway Plan was released Transportation Cabinet Secretary Maxwell Clay Bailey assured legislators that no projects had been removed the 2002 Six-Year Plan; however, the Courier-Journal has found that fifteen projects scheduled under the 2002 plan were moved to the unscheduled needs list in the new 2004 plan.

More information: Courier-Journal: 15 projects cut from road plan (March 3, 2004) , WKYT: 15 Kentucky Road Projects Cut Due To Budget Crisis (March 4, 2004) , Hardin County News Enterprise: State drops I-65 widening (March 5, 2004) 

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The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet has scheduled a number of public meetings to discuss road projects across the state.

• US 421: On March 18 from 5pm to 7pm a meeting will be held at Sandgap Elementary School in Sandgap to discuss the reconstruction of US 421 from McKee to the Rockcastle County line. [more information ]
• KY 313: On April 12 from 5:30pm to 8pm a meeting will be held at Flaherty Elementary School in Ekron to discuss an extension to KY 313 from Vine Grove to Brandenburg.
• US 460: On April 27 from 5pm to 8pm a meeting will be held at Camargo Elementary School in Jeffersonville to discuss the reconstruction of US 460 from Jeffersonville to Means.

In an article that no longer appears to be online, the Georgetown News-Graphic reports that the final leg of the Georgetown Bypass would be completed in 2010 under the proposed six-year highway plan. Construction on the bypass originally began in 1994 when the section eastern half of the bypass from US 25 south to US 25 north was completed. In 1997, the southwestern stretch of the bypass between US 460 west and US 25 south was constructed.

Under the proposed six year highway plan, right of way purchases for the stretch of the bypass between US 460 west and US 25 north would begin in 2007. Actual construction of the road would begin in 2010.

More information: Hartman, Chas. J. "Final leg of bypass could end in 2010." Georgetown (Ky.) News-Graphic  27 Feb 2004.

Transportation Cabinet District 12 reports that construction on the first phase of the US 460 widening project in Pike County is 53% complete. The 2.3 mile section of highway begins at US 23 and climbs to the top of a mountain to the east. This section of highway includes a set of twin bridges that carry the highway 86 feet above a mountain valley.

The entire project between US 23 and the Virginia state line is expected to take up to 12 years and cost $500 million.

More information: Kentucky Transportation Cabinet District 12: First section of new US 460 more than half finished (Feb. 19, 2004) 

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet has posted a new set of photographs of the US 460 reconstruction project in eastern Pike County: US 460 Online: January 27, 2004 

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet will be holding the following public meetings in the near future:

• Jan. 23 - Campbell County: Extension of KY 536 from US 27 to the AA Highway 
• Feb. 6 - Morgan County: Realingment of US 460 at Greasy Hill 
• Feb. 13 - Lee County: Realignment and Reconstruction of KY 52 

The Appalachian Regional Commission  (an agency of the federal government) plans on rebuilding parts of US 119 and US 460 in Eastern Kentucky. Work on US 119 between Pikeville and Belfry in Pike County is currently under way. This road will cut through 6 mountains.

The reconstruction of US 460 in Pike County is another ARC project.

ARC will also be funding a 1.8 mile tunnel through Pine Mountain in Letcher County. The two-lane tunnel will be the 3rd longest vehicle tunnel in the United States.

More information: Herald-Leader: Feds committed to putting roads in Appalachia's most isolated areas (Sept. 7, 2002) 

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet has announced the following upcoming public meetings:

• Sept. 9 - Discussion of Upgrades to US 51 in Hickman County 
• Sept. 10 - Discussion of Upgrades to US 51 in Carlisle County 
• Sept. 10 - Replacement of the High Street Bridge 
• Sept. 19 - Construction of a new interchange and rest area on I-75 
• Sept. 24 - US 421 widening in Fayette County 
• Sept. 26 - US 460 Realignment in Morgan County 
• Oct. 7 - US 119 Reconstruction in Letcher County 

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet's us460online.com  website now includes a video describing the right of way process . A text transcript  can also be downloaded.

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet has launched a new website to help relocate families affected by the US 460 reconstruction project in Pike County. According to the press release more than 200 families will be relocated due to the project.

More information: Press Release , Pike County US 460 Property Relocation 

The KYTC is studying the possibility of building a bridge over Pond Creek Road in Pike County instead of the nearly 300 foot high embankment that had been considered. Local residents presented the KYTC with a petition after concerns were raised over the impact the new road would have on the accessibility of the valley. The new bridge proposal will be discussed at a public meeting scheduled for March 18. See www.us460online.com  for more information.

According to US460Online.com  (a KYTC website for the project) a proposed interchange at Wolfpit has been eliminated from plans for US 460 in Pike County. This will reduce the cost of the project and reduce the number of families which must be relocated. Right of way acquisition is scheduled to begin in the spring.

The KYTC has posted materials for a planning study  concerning the reconstruction of part of US 460 in Montgomery County.