AA Highway

Last week the Kentucky State Police and the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet’s Division of Driver Safety held “Operation Drive Smart Blitz” along the AA Highway: Maysville Ledger Idependent: Campaign to enforce traffic safety on the AA Highway coming May 8-14: Operation Drive Smart Blitz (May 4, 2005) , Cincinnati Enquirer: AA Hwy. patrols beefed up (May 8, 2005) , Ashland Daily Independent: State pushes drive smart on A-A (May 12, 2005) 

Gov. Ernie Fletcher has approved a $3 million study to determine the feasibility of an extension of KY 9 (the AA Highway) into downtown Newport: Cincinnati Enquirer: Newport closer to link to AA Highway (March 15, 2005) 

A proposed extension of KY 9 (the AA Highway) into Newport along the Licking River is seen as a way to relieve congestion from I-71, I-275, and I-471: Cincinnati Enquirer: Ky. 9 revamp could ease jams (Feb. 1, 2005) 

State Senator Charlie Borders has proposed naming a new route between the AA Highway and the Black Oak Industrial Park for former President Ronald Reagan: Ashland Daily Independent: Senator suggests name for new Lewis County highway (Jan. 24, 2005) 

The Greenup County Fiscal Court has passed a resolution asking the state to investigate the intersection between US 23 and the AA Highway near Grays Branch. There have been numerous accidents at the intersection and Greenup County Commissioner Tony Quillen believes the turning radius at the intersection is too small: Ashland Daily Independent: Official asks state to examine junction (Dec. 27, 2004) 

Wrecks caused backups on I-71 and I-24 and summary of snow response statewide: Associated Press: Winter storm coats parts of Kentucky with snow, ice (Dec. 23, 2004) , Associated Press: Winter Storm Coats Much Of Kentucky With Snow, Ice (Dec. 23, 2004) 

Summary of snow response in Northern Kentucky and Cincinnati: (Covington) Kentucky Post: Kentucky and Ohio counties declare weather emergencies (Dec. 23, 2004) , Cincinnati Enquirer: Now, time to dig out (Dec. 23, 2004) 

Snow response in the Glasgow area: Glasgow Daily Times: Winter storm hits Kentucky (Dec. 23, 2004) 

Motorists became stranded on part of the Edward T. Breathitt Pennyrile Parkway near Hopkinsville: (Hopkinsville) Kentucky New Era: Storm paralyzes region (Dec. 23, 2004) 

Gov. Fletcher has declared a state of emergency in the following counties and cities: McLean, Hancock, Livingston, Hopkins, City of Providence, City of Owensboro, City of Falmouth, City of Butler, Todd, Daviess, Crittenden, Carlisle, Shelby, Muhlenberg, Pendleton, Bullitt and Grayson: WAVE 3: Governor Ernie Fletcher's Office Declares State of Emergency (Dec. 23, 2004) 

I-64 in Indiana remains closed between Evansville and the Illinois state line. The National Guard has been rescuing stranded motorists along the interstate: Associated Press: Guardsmen Rescuing Travelers Stranded On Southern Indiana Highway (Dec. 23, 2004) , Associated Press: Stranded travelers recall cold night on snowbound highway (Dec. 23, 2004) , Associated Press: Snow Storm Snarls Much Of Southern, Central Indiana (Dec. 23, 2004) , Evansville Courier & Press: Indiana National Guardsmen rescue stranded motorists from Interstate 64 (Dec. 23, 2004) 

Current Conditions

Information regarding conditions on Kentucky’s highway can be obtained by calling 1-800-RDREPORT, by calling 511 from an in-state telephone, or by visiting ww.511.ky.gov .

Maps of roads that will be cleared by the state government can be found at: www.kytc.state.ky.us/maintenance/Snow_Ice.htm .

A $100,000 grant from the state government will pay for the repaving of four miles of Flour Creek Road in Pendleton Road. The county owned road has become a major route for trucks traveling between US 27 at Butler and the AA Highway at Foster. Pendleton County will have to pay to pave .3 miles of the road. The entire length of the road between KY 177 and KY 159 will be repaved for the first time in over 15 years.

More information: (Covington) Kentucky Post: Pendleton road to be repaved (Oct. 18, 2004) 

• October 26: Public meeting to discuss the replacement of the KY 2448 crossing of the North Fork of the Kentucky River. (6PM-8PM at the Hazard City Hall) [more information ]
  
  
• November 4: Public hearing to discuss the reconstruction of KY 52 in Garrard and Madison counties. (5PM-8PM at Paint Lick Elementary School) [more information ]
  
  
• November 9: Public meeting to discuss alternatives for a proposed route between the AA Highway at Tollesboro and US 68 at Fairview. (5PM-7PM in the Fleming RECC Meeting Room in Flemingsburg) [more information ]
  
  
• November 29, 30: Public meeting to discuss construction of the new Interstate 66 between Somerset and London. (Nov. 29 5PM-8PM at London Community Center and Nov. 30 5PM-8PM at The Center for Rural Development in Somereset) [more information ]

The Buffalo Trade Area Development District has recently developed a list of top ten highway projects they would like to see added the Six Year Highway plan. The list includes widening several sections of KY 9, KY 10, and the AA Highway and reconstruction of several other area routes.

More information: Maysville Ledger Independent: Area Officials Hope to ‘Make the List’ for Road Projects (March 19, 2004) 

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 2004 federal omnibus spending bill which was approved by the senate last week includes $2 million to continue funding for a study on how to replace the aging I-71/I-75 Brent Spence Bridge across the Ohio River and $1.5 million for a connector route between the AA Highway and I-275.

President Bush must still sign the bill.

More information: Cincinnati Post: Feds OK $2M for Brent Spence (Jan. 27, 2004) , Kentucky Post: $2M targeted to Brent Spence work (Jan. 27, 2004) 

The last few months have seen the renaming of two parkways and the AA Highway. The Kentucky Post editorialized the situation: Kentucky Post: The name game (Sept. 17, 2003) 

Two studies are planned to determine routes for improved highways in Campbell County. A design study will begin this year to determine plans to widen KY 9 from Wilder into Newport. Another study has been funded to determine a route for a connector route between I-275 and the AA Highway. This new route would improve highway access to Northern Kentucky University.

More information: Kentucky Post: Officials hope to widen Ky. 9 (Sept. 6, 2003)  , Cincinatti Enquirer: Federal money routed to N.Ky. (Sept. 6, 2003) , Kentucky Post: Road Would Spark Tech Triangle (Sept. 6, 2003) 

On Wednesday, state officials re-dedicated the AA Highway in honor of former Governor John Y. Brown, Jr. Brown was governor from 1979 to 1983 and was influential in the construction of the highway across northern Kentucky.

More information: Ashland Daily Independent: A-A Highway dedicated ... again (July 24, 2004) , Kentucky Post: Take your pick: the AA, JYB or Ky. 9 (July 23, 2003) , Kentucky Transportation Cabinet: Governor Patton Dedicates AA Highway to former Governor John Y. Brown, Jr. (July 23, 2004) 

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.

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet has released the final report for the conceptual feasibility study for the Northern Kentucky Outer Loop, and the finding is that such an outer loop is not feasible.

The proposed route would connect with I-74 in Indiana, pass into Kentucky at the Markland Dam in Gallatin County, travel east-west across Kentucky, cross the Ohio River into Ohio at the William H. Harsha bridge near Maysville, and connect with a proposed extension of I-74 in Ohio. A two-year long study of this route found that the entire route would not be financially feasible in Kentucky; however, the study found that several segments of the route would have an independent of utility. The study divided the route into six sections and assigned them the following priorities:

1. US 127 to I-75 - 15.1 miles (Owen and Grant Counties)
2. I-71 to US 127 - 6.8 miles (Gallatin/Carroll and Owen Counties)
3. I-75 to US 27 - 17.6 miles (Grant and Pendleton Counties)
4. US 27 to KY 9 - 29 miles (Pendleton, Bracken, and Mason Counties)
5. Indiana to I-71 - 7 miles (Carroll/Gallatin Counties)
6. KY 9 to Ohio - 2.9 miles (Mason County)

The study found that construction of a proposed highway (Indiana State Road 101) from I-74 in Indiana to the Markland Dam would improve the usability of the Indiana to I-71 segment of the Outer Loop.

The release of the report does not guarantee that anything will be built. Construction is dependent on future funding.

More information: Kentucky Transportation Cabinet Division of Planning: Proposed Interstate 74 

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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 KYTC Division of Planning has released their final report  concerning a study about possible improvements to the western end of the AA Highway.

The KYTC has posted information pertaining to their study of improvements to the AA Highway (KY 9) in Northern Kentucky. The study materials can be found here . A map of the study area is here .

Recent flooding has caused damage to a small county road that connects the AA Highway and US 23 in Greenup County, according to this Daily Independent article .

According to thus Sept. 21, 2001 article  in the Cincinnati Enquirer, the KYTC wants to meet with drivers on the AA Highway between Campbell and Mason Counties. The KYTC will setup shop in two gas stations along the route to interview drivers about the safety of the highway. This is part of a study to determine whether the road should be widened.