Interstate 66

Planning work for the construction of I-66 in Laurel and Pulaski counties has been halted due to lack of funding: Louisville Courier-Journal: Controversial I-66 construction project stalls as funding dries up (Oct. 19, 2009) , Associated Press: Funds Dry Up, Highway Work Halts (Oct. 20, 2009) 

The Courier-Journal takes a look at the proposed Interstate 66: Courier-Journal: I-66: A road to growth or path of destruction?; Environmental impact statement for first Kentucky leg being studied (Feb. 26, 2006) 

The Eddyville City Council recently passed a resolution supporting the construction of I-66: Lyon County Herald Ledger: Eddyville City Council approves first reading of tax rate ordinance; passes resolution supporting I-66 (Sept. 14, 2005) 

On Wednesday, March 23, 2005, Gov. Ernie Fletcher unveiled signs to mark the proposed corridor of I-66 through Southern Kentucky at events in Glasgow and Columbia. As of Friday, March 25, 2005 at least two of these signs had been installed along the Louie B. Nunn Cumberland Parkway: one along the parkway’s eastbound lanes at its western terminus and one along the westbound lanes at exit 11.

See also: Louie B. Nunn Cumberland Parkway route marker and Future I-66 Corridor marker.

Last week, Gov. Ernie Fletcher unveiled new signs marking the Louie B. Nunn Cumberland Parkway as the proposed path of I-66.

More information: Glasgow Daily Times: I-66 signage to be unveiled here Wednesday (March 19, 2005) , Logan County News-Democrat & Leader: I-66 event planned (March 22, 2005) , WKYT: Signs Going Up Along I-66 Route (March 23, 2005) , Glasgow Daily Times: Governor unveils I-66 Corridor sign here (March 24, 2005) , Glasgow Daily Times: New I-66 signs point the way (March 28, 2005) 

The Knox County Fiscal Court recently passed a resolution in support of the I-66 Foundation. The foundation was created last year to promote the construction of the proposed Interstate 66 through Southern Kentucky. Interstate 66 is not expected to pass through Knox County; however, Knox County is adjacent to Clay and Laurel Counties where I-66 is expected to parallel the Hal Rogers Parkway.

More information: Corbin Times-Tribune: Knox backs I-66 Foundation (March 10, 2005) 

A recent study by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet identifies several alternatives for the proposed I-66 in Warren County and a new Bowling Green beltline route.

[Read Full Text]

Daviess County Judge-Executive Reid Haire would like to see an new interstate-grade outer loop constructed around Owensboro: Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer: Haire pushes 'outer loop'; Road would connect I-69, I-66 spurs (Feb. 20, 2005) 

The Lexington Herald-Leader profiles U.S. Representative Hal Rogers who the dub the Prince of Pork: Lexington Herald-Leader: Prince of Pork; Hal Rogers hauls home tax dollars by the billions (Feb. 6, 2005) 

The October 2004 and the 2004 Year-in-Review editions of the transportation cabinet’s newsletter have been posted to the KYTC Konnection page .

Among stories covered in the October 2004 edition are:

• The SAFE program that aids broken down motorists.
• Information about a KYTC employee’s trip to Russia to participate in an engineering exchange program.
• Coverage of the installation of new “Move Over or Slow Down for Stopped Emergency Vehicle” signs.
• Coverage of ceremonial beginning of the Kennedy Bridge repainting project.
• A story about KYTC employees rescuing a cat from an Ohio River bridge.
• Information about the opening of a reconstructed segment of US 421 in Harlan County.

Download: [Transportation Konnection – October 2004] (2.51 MB)

Among stories covered in the 2004 Year-in-Review edition are:

• Information and photographs of work on I-66 in Pulaski County.

Download: [Transportation Konnection – 2004 Year-in-Review] (2.32 MB)

• 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 ]

Ground was broken for the Somerset northern bypass in August. The new road is planned to become part of the proposed I-66 route across southern Kentucky.

More information: WKYT: I-66 Ground Breaking (August 22, 2004) 

The Commonwealth Journal reports on the status of plans to bypass Somerset. A southeast bypass has been complete for several years, and now plans are set for southwest and northern bypasses. The northern bypass will be part of I-66.

More information: Somerset Commonwealth Journal: Bypass Corridors Set (June 29, 2004) 

Work to widen US 27 north of Somerset will address safety problems at the intersection of KY 70 and US 27 in Eubank: WYMT Mountain News: Road Intersection Needs Improvements (June 16, 2004) 

The US 27 widening project will include an interchange at the future I-66.

A report by a tax watchdog group and environmental activist group denounces plans to construct a new Ohio River bridge in eastern Jefferson County and plans to construct Interstate 66 across Kentucky: Courier-Journal: East End bridge draws fire (June 3, 2004) 

The U.S. House of Representatives recently passed a transportation project authorization bill containing a number of Kentucky projects. Including:

The Louisville-Southern Indiana Bridges Project

• $7 million for continuing the Brent Spence Bridge replacement study
• I-65 connector route in Warren County
• Pennyrile Parkway extension in Christian County
• The Heartland Parkway
• I-66 northern bypass of Somerset

The Senate has passed a similar bill. Differences between the two bills must now be reconciled and passed by both houses before going before the president for his approval or veto.

More information: Courier-Journal: Bill with bridges money held up (Apr. 1, 2004)  , Business First of Louisville: House passes bill with funding for bridges project (Mar. 29, 2004) , Cincinnati Post: $7M for bridge a drop in bucket (Apr. 3, 2004) , Kentucky New Era: $8 million approved for parkway extension (Apr. 3, 2004) , Central Kentucky News-Journal: Parkway is closer to reality (Apr. 4, 2004) 

The Cincinnati Enquirer reports that greater Cincinnati area projects are fairing poorly in the bill: Cincinnati Enquirer: Local roads kicked to the curb (Apr. 2, 2004) 

Work to widen part of US 27 in northern Pulaski County is scheduled to begin this summer. The project will include an interchange at the site of the proposed Interstate 66 crossing.

More information: WKYT: Network of New Highways is on the way to southern Kentucky (March 5, 2004) 

After initially declining to study possible routes for I-66 through southern Illinois, it seems that Illinois and Missouri residents are now hoping to have the route built between I-24 and a new bridge over the Mississippi River at Cape Girardeau.

Kentucky is in the process of a feasibility study to determine the best route for I-66 between Paducah and the Mississippi River near Wickliffe.

More information: Southeast Missourian: Illinois I-66 planners wait on feds (date unknown) 

The Northern Kentucky suburb of Burlington is applying for a state-controlled federal transportation grant to refurbish its sidewalks. Boone County Administrator Jim Parsons indicated that he believes the county's chances of being awarded the grant are improved this year now that Gov. Patton is no longer in office. Last year's grant money went to fund a study of Interstate 66 in Pike County, Gov. Patton's home county.

More information: Cincinnati Enquirer: Burlington seeks sidewalk help (Jan. 29, 2004) 

A new I-65 interchange for the Kentucky Tri-Modal Transpark, an Outer Loop around Bowling Green, and construction of I-66 are among plans discussed by Bowling Green leaders following a Citizen.s Summit last November.

More information: Bowling Green Daily News: Development city officials. main focus for coming years (Jan. 15, 2004) 

U.S. Representative Hal Rogers announced in December that a significant amount of transportation funding had been secured for Kentucky. Projects include $20 million for Kentucky's Appalachian Regional Corridor highways, $1.5 million for I-75 widening in Rockcastle County, $1 million for reconstruction of 7 miles of the Hal Rogers Parkway, and $8.5 million for I-66 in Pike County and Pulaski County.

More information: WYMT Mountain News: Rogers Announces Funding for I-66, Other Kentucky Transportation Priorities (Dec. 3, 2003) 

Narration for a video presented during a meeting of persons against the construction of the proposed I-66 in Warren County described the site of a Dishman Lane collapse as being close to the location of the Kentucky Tri-Modal Transpark. The Bowling Green Daily News reports that the sites are 5-1/2 miles apart. A look at a map reveals that the two sites are at least 10 miles apart. The Dishman Lane collapse is much closer to sites such the William H. Natcher Parkway, Interstate 65, and the Bowling Green-Warren County Regional Airport which to the best of my knowledge have not suffered cave ins.

The meeting was attended by about 20 people.

More information: Bowling Green Daily News: Presentation geared toward people against development (Nov. 12, 2003) 

The Transportation Cabinet is seeking consultants to design a 2.6-mile highway to connect I-65 to US 31W in northern Warren County as part of the Kentucky TriModal Transpark. The road could conceivably extended as part of the Bowling Green Beltline project or the I-66 project. The transportation cabinet would like to have construction start on the road within two years; however, they also expect a full environmental impact statement to be completed, which could take some time.

More information: Bowling Green Daily News: Transpark seeking road developers (Aug. 9, 2003) 

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet will hold a public meeting to discuss possible routes for both a southwest and a northern bypass of Somerset. The meeting will be held on Aug. 28 at the Center for Rural Development in Somerset.

More information: Lexington Herald-Leader: If You Go (Aug. 8, 2003) 

A public meeting for I-66 planning in Pulaski and Laurel Counties brought out several anti-I-66 groups. The Transportation Cabinet is conducting a study to determine the route for I-66 between London and Somerset. This will replace the two-lane KY 80, the current major east-west corridor in the region.

Meanwhile, U.S. Congressman Hal Rogers has used his position on the transportation appropriations subcommittee to have money for Southern Kentucky road projects included a draft version of the Fiscal Year 2004 Transportation Appropriations Committee. The money includes $4.5 million for continuing work on designing I-66 in Pulaski and Laurel Counties, $2 million for I-66 in Pike County, $2 million to improve US 27 north of Somerset, $1.5 million for widening I-75 in Rockcastle County, and $1 million to fund the reconstruction of the Hal Rogers Parkway between mileposts 33 and 47 in Leslie County.

More information: Somerset Commonwealth Journal: Controversial Corridor (July 28, 2003) , Somerset Commonwealth Journal: Federal Funding (July 18, 2003) 

The Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Pike County, Kentucky and Mingo County, West Virginia segment of I-66 has been approved by the Federal Highway Administration. This means that the project now moves to the final design phase which will be followed by right-of-way acquisition, utility relocation, and construction.

More information: Kentucky Transportation Cabinet: Appalachian Corridor I-66 Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) Approved and Published (April 23, 2003, May 19, 2003) 

The Illinois Department of Transportation has reported a positive response to the proposed Interstate 66. Originally, Illinois had shied away from building part of Interstate 66 in Illinois. Building I-66 in Illinois would mean that Kentucky would not get a crossing over the Mississippi River in Ballard County.

More information: Associated Press: Saying Yes to Interstate 66 (July 24, 2003) 

The Somerset-London segment of I-66 will receive an accelerated environment review from the United States Department of Transportation. This step moves the project years closer to construction.

The London Sentinel-Echo reported that this move angered I-66 protest groups.

More information: Herald-Leader: ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW OF I-66 ROUTE ACCELERATED (Mar. 1, 2003) . Courier-Journal: Planned I-66 section to get expedited review (Mar. 1, 2003) , London Sentinel-Echo 

A run down of Warren County area road projects:

• I-65 construction between Bowling Green and Smiths Grove is complete. A few miles of the interstate near the Louie B. Nunn Cumberland Parkway are now under construction. This is part of a project to widen I-65 to six lanes from the Tennessee state line to Elizabethtown.
• The new intersection between I-65 and Cemetery Road (KY 234) is complete and open. It is now Exit 26 on I-65.
• Work to widen US 231 between Bowling Green and Alvaton is complete. Work has now started on the US 231 project to the south and east of Alvaton. US 231 is being widened to four lanes from Bowling Green to Scottsville.
• The City of Bowling Green and Warren County are funding work to rebuild and widen Cave Mill Road from Scottsvile Road (US 231) to Dishman Lane.
• The Natcher Parkway extension from I-65 to US 231 east of Bowling Green is still planned; however, there is currently no funding for the project.
• The planning process for I-66 and the Bowling Green Beltline project continues.

More information: Bowling Green Daily News: Road improvements (Jan. 31, 2003) , Bowling Green Daily News: Public will get view of plans for two roads (Feb. 6, 2003) , Bowling Green Daily News: Road construction in area makes for dangerous driving (April 10, 2003) , Bowling Green Daily News: End in sight for construction on U.S. 231 (April 14, 2003) , Bowling Green Daily News: Tolls to be halted on two roads (May 31, 2001) , Bowling Green Daily News: Work starts on another section of Cave Mill (June 30, 2003) , Bowling Green Daily News: Road paving will take place at night (July 12, 2003) , Bowling Green Daily News: ITA presents virtual transpark model (July 17, 2003) 

The federal budget for 2002 includes money for several road projects in Kentucky. These projects include:

• Planning for widening KY 101 in Edmonson County
• Planning for the construction of an interchange with I-65 for the Kentucky Trimodal Transpark in Warren County
• Right-of-way acquasiation and utility relocation for the Louisville-Southern Indiana Bridge Project
• Bridge rennovation in Lincoln County
• Construction of a sound barrier on I-75 in Fayette County
• Widening of I-75 to six lanes in Rockcastle County
• Construction of the I-66 Northern By-pass of Somerset
• Bridge replacement on Monticello Street in Somerset

More information: Daily News: Region lands more than $13 million in funds (Feb. 15, 2003) , Courier-Journal: Budget funds projects in area (Feb. 15, 2003) , Herald-Leader: Kentucky projects in federal budget bill (Feb. 15, 2003) 

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet has narrowed the list of possible routes for Interstate 66 and the Bowling Green Outer Beltline. The public is being given the chance to review the list of possible routes in a series of public meetings in the greater Bowling Green area. The KYTC has posted maps and other information about the proposed routes here .

More information: Daily News: Public will get view of plans for two roads (Feb. 6, 2003) , Daily News: Revised I-66 routes unveiled (Feb. 12, 2003) , KYTC Planning Project: Proposed Interstate 66 & Bowling Green Outer Beltline 

The Bowling Green Daily News reports that the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet will be holding public meetings in February to discuss possible routings for I-66 in Barren County, Edmonson County, and Warren County.

More information: Daily News: Community meetings will further discuss proposals for I-66 routes (Dec. 31, 2002) 

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet has distributed between 6,000 and 7,000 surveys seeking citizen input on the future route of I-66 between Somerset and London. Similar surveys were used to help determing the route of the Somerset Northern By-Pass, another segment of future I-66.

More information: The Sentinel-Echo: Survey seeks opinions on I-66 (Jan. 9, 2002) 

The KYTC Division of Planning has posted preliminary information concerning public meetings  about I-66 in Warren County and Edmonson County.

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet will be holding a public meeting to discuss the proposed Interstate 66 in western Kentucky from 5pm to 7pm at Ballard Memorial High School, 3561 Paducah Rd., La Center, KY.

More information: http://www.kytc.state.ky.us/planning/pl-projects/projects/I-66/i66_12.10.02/i66_12.10.02.shtm 

A transportation cabinet highway planner, Keith Damron, reports that construction of a segment of I-66 in Pike County could begin next year. The actual beginning of construction is dependent on final federal approval by the U.S. Department of Transportation and available funding. This section of I-66 is about 30 miles long and would begin at US 23 in Pikeville and extend to the West Virginia border. This road is expected to cost $1.5 billion (or $50 million per mile).

More information: Floyd County Times: Construction of I-66 could begin next year (Sept. 4, 2002) 

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet Division of Planning has posted a few new maps of preliminary study corridors for I-66 in western Kentucky.

Ballard and McCracken Counties

• Preliminary Corridors 
• More Information 

Warren and Edmonson Counties

• Bowling Green Beltline Corridors 
• I-66 Corridors 
• More Information 

Ballard County and McCracken County

Three possible routes for I-66 in Ballard County and McCracken County were revealed at a meeting in LaCenter on Tuesday:

• One route begins at Old Mayfield Road and I-24 in McCracken County and passes through the southern park of McCracken and Ballard Counties before crossing the Mississippi River at Wickliffe.
• Another route generally follows US 62 and KY 286 from Paducah to a new Mississippi River crossing at Wickliffe.
• A third route would follow I-24 into Illinois and construct a new route to Cape Girardeau, MO. Illinois officials are not participating in the study because of issues with building a route through the Shawnee National Forest.

The engineering firm of Parsons Brinckerhoff Quade & Douglas is conducting the study along with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. Another meeting is expected to be held later this year.

More information: Courier-Journal: Public input sought on possible I-66 routes in Western Kentucky (Aug. 22, 2002) 

Warren County and Edmonson County

The Glasgow Daily Times reports that I-66 public meeting in Warren County and Edmonson County were well attended. They report that the engineering firm of Bernard, Lochmueller and Associates, Inc. is working with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet to provide alternatives for routes the proposed I-66 between the Louie B. Nunn Cumberland Parkway and the William H. Natcher Parkway. Parties interested in viewing information from the public meetings should contact Keirsten Jaggers or Jeff Moore at the KYTC office in Bowling Green. The phone number is (270) 746-7898.

More information: Glasgow Daily Times: I-66 meeting well attended (Aug. 22, 2002) , Glasgow Daily Times: I-66 public meeting draws large crowd (Aug. 16, 2002) 

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet will be holding a public meeting on Aug. 20 to discuss the I-66 project in Ballard and McCracken Counties. The meeting will be held from 5pm to 7pm at Ballard Memorial High School.

More information:

• Meeting Notice 
• KYTC's Division of Planning - Proposed Interstate 66  - Includes a project description and maps of the study area.

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet has released information pertaining to public meeting concerning I-66 in the Bowling Green area:

• Aug. 15 Meeting  - 10 am-7 pm CDT / Brownsville Community Center / 108 N. Main St. / Brownsville, KY
• Aug. 14 Meeting  - 10 am-7 pm CDT / Bowling Green Public Library - Depot Br. / 401 Kentucky St. / Bowling Green, KY

The information includes an overview of the project  (PDF format) and map of conceptual corridors  (PDF format).

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet will be holding a public meeting on Aug. 22, 2002 to discuss Somerset Northern Bypass  which is part of Kentucky's I-66. The meeting will be held at the Center for Rural Development in Somerset and will consist of an open house from 4pm to 7pm and a formal comment period from 7pm to 8pm.

Information about the Pulaski County segment of I-66 including maps of proposed alignments can be found on the KYTC's Interstate 66 Corridor Project Information website .

More Information:

• Commonwealth Journal: Overflow On 80 (July 10, 2002) 
• Commonwealth Journal: Residents learn more about proposed interstate at public information meeting (June 19, 2002) 
• Commonwealth Journal: Preliminary lines for proposed bypass unveiled (Apr. 25, 2002) 

The Sierra Club has posted incorrect information about I-66  on their website as part of a report against urban sprawl. The group claims that I-66 would "cut through Mammoth Cave National Park." This statement is incorrect. Though a final path for I-66 in the Warren County has yet to have been chosen, a preliminary map  is available. Though the park is not shown on this map, the park is entirely to the north of KY 259 and US 31W which are shown on the map. None of the preliminary routes are north of these roads.

The West Kentucky Corporation  has a section with preliminary maps for I-66 and the Bowling Green Outer Beltline in Warren County .

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet has scheduled several planning meetings:

• July 30 - New Elizabethtown-Radcliff Connector 
• July 30 - Reconstruction of KY 536 in Boone County 
• Aug. 8 - I-66 Somerset Northern By-Pass 
• Aug. 13 - Widening US 641 in Calloway County 
• Aug. 14/15 - I-66 Meetings in Warren and Edmonson Counties 
• Aug. 15 - Reconstruction of I-64 and US 60 Interchanges on I-265 (Gene Snyder Freeway) 
• Aug. 20 - I-66 in Ballard and McCracken Counties 
• Aug. 20 - Extension of the Edward T. Breathitt Parkway Extension to I-24 in Christian County 

The Bowling Green Daily News reports that I-66 may use part of I-65 in Warren County to make the connection between the Cumberland Parkway and Natcher Parkway in Warren County. More Information 

Also, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet will hold two public meetings to discuss I-66 in the Warren County area. One meeting will be held on August 14 in Bowling Green, and another will be held the following day in Brownsville. More Information 

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet's I-66 web sites have been updated. Information from planning projects in Ballard, Edmonson, Marshall, McCracken, and Warren county can be found here . The Official Interstate 66  website has been updated with information about the Ballard and McCracken segment  and Pulaski and Laurel segment .

A new vicinity map  of the Pike/Mingo segment has been added. Also, the Phase 1 Archeological Survey for Pike/Mingo segment  has begun.

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet and the Missouri Department of Transportation have begun a study to choose a route for I-66 to cross the Mississippi River. A public meeting on the issue has been scheduled for Map 14, 2002. The KYTC has posted a map of the study area .

The public open house will be held at the Information Age Park Resource Center, Great Center in Paducah from 4:00pm to 7:00pm on May 14. A meeting will be held in Sikeston, Missouri on May 13 at the Missouri DOT District Office. More materials for the public meetings can be found here .

This article  from Paducah's NewsChannel 6 has additional information about the proposed I-66.

Interstate66.com  reports that public meeting about I-66 have been held in the Pike County area. Maps from the meetings can be found here .

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet Division of Planning has posted updated materials from Bowling Green area I-66 public meetings on its website .

The KYTC held the first of two I-66 public meetings in South Central Kentucky on Monday. This meeting was held in Brownsville. Area residents expressed their desire for the route to pass through Edmonson County. They feel that their county has suffered financially since it was bypassed by I-65, the Natcher Parkway, and the Western Kentucky Parkway.

Another meeting is scheduled for Thursday in Bowling Green. More information can be found on the KYTC website .

More information: Daily News: I-66 routes studied 

The decision has apparently been made that Kentucky's future Interstate 66 and Interstate 69 will apparently use existing parkways. As reported earlier on KentuckyRoads.com, the 2002 Kentucky Official Highway Map shows parts of the Western Kentucky Parkway, Natcher Parkway, and Breathitt Parkway as Future I-66 and Future I-69. On Feb. 25, the Evansville Courier & Press carried an article stating that the map indicates that I-69 and I-66 will follow the existing parkways.

Email correspondence with Mike Hancock, executive director of the Transportation Cabinet's Office of Program Planning and Management, confirms that the decision has been made to utilize as much of the exiting parkway system as possible to route I-66 and I-69. Hancock said, "we are involved in a planning study that will help us determine the costs and impacts associated with upgrading the Parkways affected by I-69 to interstate standards. We will use this study to help us assess similar needs and issues relative to the I-66 Corridor." The parkways do not currently meet federal standards for interstates and will need to be upgraded before they officially become interstates.

Federal legislation has directed Kentucky to use the Louie B. Nunn Cumberland Parkway as part of I-66 and the Julian M. Carroll Purchase Parkway as part of I-69. This legislation also directed Kentucky to erect "Future I-66" signs along the Cumberland Parkway and "Future I-69" signs along the Purchase Parkway. Hancock indicated that the Transportation Cabinet is working to erect this signs very soon.

More information: MyInKy.com - Sketching out I-69 

Two public meetings will be held to discuss the I-66 project in Pike County, Kentucky and Mingo County, West Virginia. The meetings will be held on March 25 and March 26. See Interstate66.com  for more information on times and locations.

The Bowling Green Daily News reports in this Feb. 13, 2002 article  that the state is studying the construction of a Bowling Green loop road as part of the Interstate 66 project. The road would connect I-66 to the Natcher Parkway north of Bowling Green. The road was originally proposed in 1972. The current study is expected to be completed in 2003 and any construction is still over ten years away.

Updated Mar-02: Glasgow Daily Times article .

The KYTC will be holding public meetings to discuss the proposed Bowling Green Beltline highway and the location of I-66 between the Natcher Parkway and the Cumberland Parkway. More information can be found here .

The Bowling Green Daily News reports in this Feb. 3, 2002 article  that public meeting will be held in March to discuss possible routes for I-66 between the Louie B. Nunn Cumberland Parkway and the Natcher Parkway. The Daily News reports that this project will likely be combined with an effort to build a beltway road north of Bowling Green.

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet will hold a ground breaking ceremony for the Glasgow Outer Loop on Friday, Jan. 25 at 2:00 p.m. It will be held at the Highland 7 Cinemas on Ky. 90. The loop will be around the northern side of the city and connect to the Louis B. Nunn Cumberland Parkway (future Interstate 66) east and west of the city.

After examining press releases from Congressman Fletcher  (no longer online) and Congressman Rogers , I have learned more specific details about what projects Kentucky's money in the 2002 U.S. Department of Transportation spending bill has been allocated for:

• $20 million for land acquisition and planning efforts for Interstate 66, with an additional $2.5 million provided for ongoing design efforts of I-66 in Pike County.
• $2 million for a new initiative at the University of Kentucky. The Academy for Community Transportation Innovation will educate professionals and study transportation development, planning and design of suburban and rural areas.
• $2 million to help Kentucky establish a statewide clearinghouse for public travel information.
• $2 million for a project to provide traffic information through a universal telephone number (5-1-1). The pilot project will build a first generation 511 call center in Kentucky that could become a national resource for traffic information.
• $15.5 million for bus and bus facility needs across Kentucky.
• $1.5 million for preliminary work on a project to straighten a dangerous section of the Daniel Boone Parkway in Leslie County between mileposts 37 and 44
• $4 million for improved access to the Parkway from the new Clay/Leslie County Industrial Park
• $2 million for continued work on a project to improve US 25N in Rockcastle County to provide for increased traffic at the new Country Music Hall of Fame
• $1.4 million to improve Cold Hill Road, located in the Daniel Boone National Forest in Laurel County
• $995,000 to improve a stretch of Craigs Creek Road on U.S. Forest Service land in Laurel County
• $885,000 for improvements to Kentucky’s Scenic Byways, including the Country Music Highway, the Wilderness Road Heritage Highway and the Cumberland Cultural Heritage Highway.
• $800,000 for the design phase of a 4-lane project on a section of US 27 south of Somerset to Burnside Island.
• $500,000 to widen Leestown Road in Lexington.

According to this June 18, 2001 article  from the Bowling Green Daily News the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet has considered reconstructing KY 259 from the current I-65 and Louie B. Nunn Cumberland Parkway to the intersection of KY 259 and KY 101 near Brownsville. A public meeting on this issue was held in July of 2001. An early report on the proposal can be found here . This project is in the same area as the proposed I-66.

The Division of Planning's 2002 Official Highway Map can now be downloaded from here . The map now indicated the proposed corridors for Interstate 66 and Interstate 69.

The conference version of the Transportation spending bill  has passed both houses of Congress and is now waiting to be signed by the President.

Kentucky is mentioned several places in the bill:

• $2,000,000 for an Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) providing Eastern Kentucky rural highway information,
• $750,000 for an ITS for Lexington,
• $2,000,000 for a statewide transportation operations center,
• the corridors for I-66 and I-69 have been redefined: I-66 is now defined to use the Nunn Cumberland Parkway and I-69 is now defined to use the Carrol Purchase Parkway,
• Kentucky may now post signs saying "Future I-69" on the Purchase Parkway and "Future I-66" in the Cumberland Parkway,
• $4,000,000 for to help access to an industrial park in Clay and Leslie counties,
• $50,000 for work on Kentucky 55,
• $1,600,000 for work on Kentucky 192 in McCreary county,
• $1,000,000 for improvements to the intersection at the end of Grover Carey Bridge in Owensboro,
• $250,000 for work on Kentucky 61 in Green county,
• $300,000 for work on Kentucky 92 in Whitley county,
• $20,000,000 for I-66 (I believe this is the Somerset-London segment.),
• $2,500,000 for I-66 in Pike County,
• $320,000 for work on KY 1848 between I-64 and US 60,
• $1,000,000 for the Monticello Street underpass in Somerset,
• $1,000,000 for work on the Pennyrile Parkway (I believe this is for the southern extension to I-24),
• $1,500,000 for work on Stone Coal Road in Johnson county,
• $2,000,000 for work on US 25 near Renfro Valley,
• $5,000,000 for work on US 27 between Somerset and KY 70,
• $80,000 for work on US 27 near Burnside,
• $850,000 for work on US 431 near Lewisburg,
• $500,000 for right-of-way for US 60 in Henderson County,
• $100,000 for work on US 41A,
• $50,00 for Estill County bypass lighting around Irvine,
• $300,000 for Estill County industrial park access road,
• $400,000 for Fegenbush Lane Bridge at Fern Creek,
• $1,000,000 for Henderson riverfront project,
• $1,000,000 for engineering work on Kentucky 61 from Kentucky 487 to Columbia,
• $800,000 for Johnstown Road,
• $2,350,000 for Kentucky Transportation Cabinet for Regional Trail Improvements,
• $1,000,000 for improved access to Louisville's water front park,
• $600,000 for median on US 42 from Harrods Creek to River Road,
• $1,800,000 for Owensboro Riverfront redevelopment project,
• $42,600 for Park City sidewalks,
• $2,000,000 for Somerset downtown revitalization,
• $6,600,000 for Southern bypass around the southwestern portion of Somerset,
• $125,000 for Vine Grove sidewalks,
• $2,000,000 for Clarks River National Wildlife Refuge,
• $1,400,000 for Cold Hill Road,
• $995,000 for Craigs Creek Road,
• $1,500,000 for Daniel Boone Parkway between mileposts 37 and 44,
• $2,000,000 for Brent Spence Bridge replacement I-75 and I-71 near Cincinnati,
• $375,000 for work at I-75 Exit 11,
• $2,500,000 for Louisville-Southern Indiana Ohio River Bridges project,
• $885,000 for Kentucky Scenic byways (Country Music Highway, Wilderness Road Heritage Highway, Cumberland Cultural Heritage Highway),
• $30,000,000 for work Appalachian Development Highway System,
• $4,534,000 for the Kentucky Transportation Department to provide buses, vans, cutaways, and bus facilities in the Commonwealth of Kentucky,
• $1,500,000 for Big South Fork Scenic Railroad enhancement project, and
• $5,000,000 for Southern Kentucky Intermodal Transportation Park.

Quite an impressive haul; however, there is no funding for I-175.

This Daily News article  reports that Bowling Green area residents mostly support I-66; however, there remains some concern about damage to the environment and farmland. Among the environmental concerns was the impact this road might have on the area's cave system. State officials expect that I-66 will make use of existing parkways in the region, and a new portion will be part of an outer loop around Bowling Green.

The Interstate 66 web site  now has the Fall 2001 Newsletter  (PDF format) detailing progress on plans for the Pike County segment of I-66.

The KYTC has postponed two I-66 public meetings  (no longer online; see here  for more recent information) that were scheduled for October 16 and October 18. No information on why or when the meetings will be held.

The KYTC has released materials from an upcoming public meeting  regarding the proposed I-66 between Interstate 65 and the William H. Natcher Parkway. The meetings will be held in Bowling Green on October 16 and Brownsville on October 18.

The KYTC has posted materials from an August 30, 2001 meeting regarding I-66 between I-65 and the Natcher Parkway here .

In addition the KYTC planning web site has new dedicated to I-66. Here is a list of links to I-66 information on the KYTC website:

• Interstate 66 - Division of Planning  - Contains links to materials from I-66 public meetings.
• Interstate 66 - Somerset to London  - A complete report detailing the proposed route from Somerset to London. This would connect the Nunn Parkway to the Daniel Boone Parkway.
• Interstate66.com  - Contains information about Interstate 66 in Pike County, Kentucky and Mingo County, West Virginia.

The KYTC has posted the most recent maps of the proposed alignment of I-66 in Pike County, Kentucky and Mingo County, West Virginia. They are available here . A questionnaire can also be downloaded from the same page.

The Daily News (Bowling Green) reports in this July 12, 2001 article  that a study has begun to designate a route for Interstate 66 between the Louie B. Nunn (Cumberland) Parkway and William H. Natcher Parkway. This route would be in the area of Warren, Edmonson, and Butler counties. The article also discusses the status of other parts of the I-66 project.