Graves County

The final section of the newly construction four-lane route for KY 80 between Aurora and Mayfield will open soon. The new KY 80 runs further south than its original routing and crosses US 641 closer to Murray than the original route. KY 80's original route has been signed as KY 402 for several years. The opening of the new route will once again make KY 80 a continuous route.

More information: Associated Press: New highway stretch nearly done (Oct. 28, 2009) 

Gov. Ernie Fletcher recently officiated over the ceremonial ground breaking for the next phase of the KY 80 widening project in Western Kentucky. Ground was broken for the phase of the project that will construct a new four lane highway between Murray and Mayfield: Murray Ledger & Times: Next Ky. 80 phase set to break ground Thursday (May 24, 2006) 

State Rep. Melvin Henley recently told the Murray Ledger & Times that the next phase of the KY 80 widening project between Murray and Mayfield has been put on hold: Murray Ledger & Times: Murray-to-Mayfield road work on hold due to funding (Jan. 5, 2006) 

Associated Press: Debate grows over impact of I-69 in western Ky., Tenn. (Aug. 7, 2005) 

Ground was broken Wednesday on the next phase of the Western Kentucky KY 80 widening project. Gov. Ernie Fletcher and other officials broke ground for a section of the highway between the KY 121 Bypass in Mayfield and KY 1124: Murray Ledger & Times: Ground broken for Mayfield end of Ky. 80 road project (April 28, 2005) 

William also noted during a meeting of the Purchase Area Development District that work will not begin to widen US 68/KY 80 through the Land Between the Lakes until a environmental impact statement is approved by the federal government.

More information: Murray Ledger & Times: Road project to resume this summer (Feb. 22, 2005) 

The Oct. 23, 2004 edition of the Murray Ledger & Times included photographs of the opening of a new section of KY 80 .

With work to construct a new four lane section of KY 80 between Aurora and US 641 north of Murray nearly completed, focus has shifted to the next stage of the project: construction of another new four lane section between US 641 and Mayfield. The Graves/Calloway County is currently in the grade-and-drain phase of construction. Surfacing of the highway will not begin for sometime, and the road will not be open to traffic for several years.

More information: Murray Ledger & Times: Ky. 68/80 section moving west into Graves County (July 10, 2004) 

Gov. Fletcher and Transportation Secretary Bailey have appointed chief highway engineers for nine of the Division of Highways' twelve districts.

• Edward “Ted” Merryman has been appointed as Chief Highway Engineer for districts 1 and 2. Previously, Merryman was chief highway engineer for district 2. [more information ]
• Greg Meredith has been reappointed as Chief Highway Engineer for district 2. [more information ]
• Gary M. Raymer, P.E. has been appointed as Chief Highway Engineer for district 4. [more information ]
• David Jones, P.E. has been appointed as Chief Highway Engineer for district 6. [more information ]
• Jim Rummage, P.E. has been appointed as Chief Highway Engineer for district 7. [more information ]
• Katrina O. Bradley, P.E. has been appointed as Chief Highway Engineer for district 9. [more information ]
• Samuel H. Beverage, P.E. has been appointed as Chief Highway Engineer for districts 10 and 11. [ more information ]

More information: WKYT: Gov. Fletcher Hires New Highway Engineers (June 29, 2004) , Associated Press: Fletcher appoints top highway engineers (June 30, 2004) , Hardin County News-Enterprise: Highway engineer appointed in E'town (June 30, 2004) , Maysville Ledger-Independent: New KTC Engineer Sees District as Unique (July 2, 2004) 

US 68 and KY 80 played host a 400 mile long yard sale the first weekend of June: Bowling Green Daily News: 400-mile yard sale kicks off on 68-80 (June 3, 2004) , (Hopkinsville) Kentucky New Era: The 400-mile sale (June 4, 2004) , Bowling Green Daily News: Buyers crossing nation for statewide sale (June 5, 2004) , Bowling Green Daily News: Festival gives Smiths Grove chance to relax, sell goods (June 6, 2004) 

Funding to continue the reconstruction of KY 80 is included in the new Six-Year Highway Plan. The project to widen KY 80 between Cadiz and Mayfield is broken up into three phases.

• Phase 1 - Aurora to Murray - Construction on this phase of the project is nearly complete. It begins at the approach to US 68-KY 80 bridge over Kentucky Lake and continues westward to US 641 a few miles north of Murray. Construction started several years ago and should be complete this summer.
• Phase 2 - Murray to Mayfield - Construction on this phase was recently begun. This $60 million will construct a new four lane highway between US 641 north of Murray to Mayfield. Construction is expected to last for a couple of years.
• Phase 3 - Cadiz to Aurora - The Six-Year Plan includes $132 million to construct new four lane bridges over Kentucky Lake and Lake Berkeley. Construction on the bridges is scheduled to begin in 2006. Work on the widening project through the Land Between the Lakes has been delayed: the Tennessee Valley Authority gave initial approval for the project; however, ownership of the Land Between the Lakes has since been transferred to the United State Department of Agriculture forest service. Plans for the widening project are expected to be complete this summer, and construction is scheduled for completion in 2007.

The existing two-lane stretch of KY 80 between Aurora and Kentucky 58 east of Mayfield has already been renumbered as KY 402.

More information: Murray Ledger & Times: Committment [sic] shown for Ky. 80 project (Feb. 20, 2004) 

A new four lane route for KY 80 has recently opened between US 68 at Aurora and US 641 at Murray has recently been completed. The Murray to Mayfield section is expected to be open by Spring 2004.

More information: WPSD: Highway 80 Could be Complete in Two Years (Nov. 1, 2002) 

H.B. Elkins posts in this Usenet message  that he has learned from Jeff Moore at the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet that KY 80 will be routed along the new road currently under construction between Aurora and Mayfield. The current route of KY 80 between Aurora and KY 58 near Brewers has been renumbered as KY 402.

The approach to a bridge on KY 121 south of Mayfield caved in around 4:30am on June 6th. The problem was related to recent flooding. The flood waters washed away material underneath the roadway leading to its collapse. The hole was filled with sand and gravel and the bridge was reopened.

More information: WPSD: Bridge Closure (June 6, 2002)