Beshear announces Mountain Parkway, Dawkins Line projects
By TONY FYFFE
BSN Editor
PRESTONSBURG — Gov. Andy Beshear was in Prestonsburg Monday to announce plans for the final section of the Mountain Parkway expansion and a grant to improve the Dawkins Line Rail Trail.
Beshear said plans are underway to build 13 additional miles of the Mountain Parkway in eastern Magoffin County through Floyd County. He said the project will “support economic development opportunities in the area and provide a safer route for motorists in the region.”
Since the parkway expansion project began in 2014, nearly 32 miles of parkway widening have been completed or are under construction. The Magoffin-Floyd section would extend from U.S. 460 in Salyersville to Ky. 404 in Prestonsburg along a cross-country route. Beshear said this option will cause fewer disruptions and property impacts to homes and businesses versus expanding the parkway along the current Ky. 114 114 corridor.
To advance this final segment of the Mountain Parkway to construction, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) and its partners are collecting more detailed environmental and geotechnical information from the cross-country corridor, which includes crews performing surveys, archaeological and historical studies and biological research.
The cabinet is working closely with the Federal Highway Administration to follow the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process and other federal laws and policies. The cabinet will schedule a public information meeting by early 2023 to provide more details about the project.
In August, ground was broken for the $97.1 million Wolfe County segment of the Mountain Parkway, which is expected to be completed by 2027.
Beshear also announced $4.1 million in funding for the first phase of a Dawkins Line Rail Trail rehabilitation project.
The first of the two-phase project includes paving 24 miles of gravel trail from Johnson County to Magoffin County, paving the parking lot at the Jenny’s Creek and Jane Beshear trailheads, and repairing drainage structures, signs and bollards.
Phase 2 will be awarded in spring 2023 and focus on constructing a trail over the Carver Tunnel, also known as Tip Top, to connect two ends of the trail in Magoffin County, as well as paving the remaining 12 miles to the end of the trail in Breathitt County.
The Dawkins Line Rail Trail is a former railway, constructed in the early 1900s to haul timber, then later coal. Opened in 2013, it is the longest rail-to-trail in the state. The current 36-mile trail, managed by the Kentucky Department of Parks, in cooperation with KYTC, stretches from Hager Hill in Johnson County to Evanston in Breathitt County.
“By next summer, residents and tourists will enjoy the newly paved trail that expands access for more users to enjoy the scenic views,” Transportation Cabinet Secretary Jim Gray said. “We look forward to kicking off construction next month and advancing Phase 2 in 2023 to close a gap in the trail near the Carver Tunnel.”
Johnson County Judge-Executive Mark McKenzie said the paving of the trail will serve both residents and visitors to the region.
“We look forward to seeing the opportunities this project creates for development of tourism-related small businesses and other health and wellness benefits as a result of this significant investment,” McKenzie said.
The low-bid contract for Phase 1 was awarded to Mountain Enterprises, with an anticipated completion date of June 2023.