Letcher County

Contractors recently began paving part of the Little Shepherd Trail on Pine Mountain in Harlan and Letcher Counties. Some local residents have expressed opposition to the state’s plan to pave the trail: Associated Press: State starts paving over primitive trail, reignites local flap (June 13, 2006) , Lexington Herald-Leader: State stirs anger by paving trail; Opponents had been told it wouldn't happen (June 14, 2006) , Lexington Herald-Leader: Demonstrators fight paving of mountain trail; Tourist Site Has A Literary History (June 16, 2006) 

The state has backed down from a plan to improve access to the Little Sheppard Trail by paving it. Area residents feared that the trail which winds down the spine of Pine Mountain would become a road for vehicle traffic.

More information: Associated Press: State won't pave primitive trail on Pine Mountain (July 18, 2005) 

Area residents are concerned about the state’s plan to pave 14 miles of the Little Shepherd Trail, a “primitive” trail across Pine Mountain in Letcher County: Associated Press: Don't pave trail, residents tell Fletcher; Little Shepherd is 'just a real treasure' (May 28, 2005) 

Local, state, and federal officials will gather in Letcher County on April 22 to celebrate improvements to US 119’s crossing of Pine Mountain. The improvements include the widening of shoulders and the addition of passing lanes on the climb up the mountain.

The day’s events will include exhibits at the Pine Mountain Grill and a 11:00am ceremony at the new overlook on US 119.

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The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet has received a $3.1 million grant to fund various public transit projects in rural Kentucky counties: Lexington Herald-Leader: Transportation Cabinet gets $3.1 million (March 2, 2005) 

Records show that US 23 is the state’s deadliest roadway: Lexington Herald-Leader: Memorials every few miles on U.S. Highway 23 (Jan. 9, 2005) 

Area leaders believe the recent re-opening of the US 119 Pine Mountain crossing to commercial traffic will spark economic growth in Letcher County: WYMT Mountain News: Community Leaders Say Re-Opening of Road Could Spark Economy (Dec. 30, 2004) 

A ban on truck traffic on US 119 over Pine Mountain in Letcher County has been modified to allow many types of truck traffic; however, some restrictions still remain: KYTC Division of Highways District 12: Truck ban lifted on Pine Mountain (Dec. 21, 2004) , Associated Press: State lifts ban on trucks traveling across Pine Mountain (Dec. 21, 2004) 

Heavy rains in June washed out several roads in far eastern Kentucky. Damage was so severe the Transportation Cabinet Highway District 12 was forces to halt all routine highway maintenance and refocus on emergency road repairs. Preliminary estimates are that repairs will cost $6 million.

The rain and floods also damaged roads in Clark County.

Additionally, the rains are believed to have contributed to the partial collapse of KY 292, the Huntley-Brinkley Road, along the Tug Fork in Pike County. The road was constructed by local residents nearly 40 years ago. After the area was featured on the NBC evening news with Chet Huntley and David Brinkley, television viewers nationwide sent donations to aid in the construction of the road. Local residents believe heavy coal trucks contributed to the collapse of the road.

More information: Kentucky Transportation Cabinet Highway District 12: District 12 surveys flood damage with FEMA reps (June 6, 2004) , Winchester Sun: Clark County included in request for disaster relief (June 8, 2004) , Lexington Herald-Leader: It's good night to section of Huntley-Brinkley Road (June 15, 2004) , Lexington Herald-Leader: Cause of eastern Kentucky road's deterioration debated (June 15, 2004) 

Gov. Fletcher recently visited the spot improvement project along US 119 over Pine Mountain: Kentucky Transportation Cabinet District 12: Governor tours Pine Mountain road project (May 14, 2004) 

Despite recent spot improvements to US 119 over Pine Mountain in Letcher County, vehicles over 30 feet long are still banned from the highway. The ban went into effect March 12, 2001 after a traffic study conducted at the request of the Pine Mountain Task Force.

More information: Kentucky Transportation Cabinet Division of Highway District 12: Press Release (March 11, 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.

When a 7.2-mile long project to widen and straighten US 119 on Pine Mountain is complete, the state will not plant non-native plant species along the road. The road is near a state nature preserve, so the state plans to take steps to preserve the mountain ecosystem.

More information: Associated Press: Highway area to be safe from exotic plants (Feb. 7, 2003) 

Local residents are concerned about the impact road work on US 119 is having on Pine Mountain in Letcher County. The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet is currently in the process of straightening several curves on US 119's crossing of Pine Mountain. This work is causing much more of the mountain to be stripped than local residents had expected.

The state plans to be eventually build a tunnel through Pine Mountain. The current road work is a stopgap measure until the tunnel can be constructed.

US 119 over Pine Mountain has been closed to vehicles over 30 feet for over a year because such vehicles were involved in an inordinate amount of crashes.

More information: Daily Independent: Portions of mountain stripped (Jan. 7, 2003) 

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 Lexington Herald-Leader reports in this article  that a project to improve US 119 across Pine Mountain will begin this spring; however, trucks will probably still be banned from the highway due to remaining hairpin curves. A project to construct a tunnel through the mountain is being studied, but it may take 20 years to complete such a project.

This Courier-Journal article  and this Herald-Leader article  report that the KYTC will seek money from Appalachian Regional Commission to build a tunnel for US 119 through Pine Mountain in Letcher County.