McCracken Gets $80 Million In Kentucky Road Plan

More than $80 million in McCracken County road and bridge projects, including funding for the Paducah Waterfront Development project and the work on the Paducah outer loop, are included in the two-year state road plan now waiting to be signed by Governor Steve Beshear.

State Rep. Gerald Watkins, D-Paducah, said McCracken County fared well in final negotiations on the 2014-2016 Road Plan, which is found in House Bill 237 approved in the final hours of the 2014 regular session last week.

"I am very happy with the road projects that were approved for Paducah and McCracken County," Rep. Watkins said, "I worked with House leadership to make sure our priorities were included in the budget.  This will be a safer community with these projects completed."

Work on the new Paducah outer loop will receive $18.3 million in fiscal years 2015 and 2016 for various phases of the project: $2.1 million next fiscal year and $2.080 million in fiscal year 2016 for right-of-way work and utility work from Lovelaceville Road to US 62; $4.2 million next fiscal year and $2.8 in fiscal year 2016 for right-of-way and utility work from Paducah-Mayfield Road to Lovelaceville Road; and $4.2 million next fiscal year and $3.65 million the following year for right-of-way and utility work from US 62 (Blandville Road) to US 60 (Paducah-Wickliffe Road).

More than $6 million was included in the bill for the construction phase of the Paducah waterfront project this fiscal year. All funds come from federal demonstration project money allocated for the project, including $2.27 million in 2006 and $3.92 million in 2008.


Other projects included in the road plan for McCracken County are:

-$5 million this fiscal year and $8.44 million in fiscal year 2016 for major widening of US 62 from KY 998 to the Information Age Park;

-$4.64 million next fiscal year and $3.38 million the following year for minor widening of US 60 from Clarks River to US 62;

-$5.08 million this fiscal year to remove the existing Tennessee River Bridge on US 60 upon completion of the new US 60 Tennessee River Bridge;

-$520,000 this fiscal year and $7.3 million in fiscal year 2016 for work toward relocation of US 62 from the US 60 departure to KY 1887 (Park Road);

-$4.68 million this fiscal year for reconstruction of Olivet Church Road (KY 998) from Five-Lane Section to US 60;

-$2.3 million in fiscal year 2016 for the design phase of the upgrade of KY 1286 (Friendship Road) in Paducah from mile point 3.6 to mile point 6.4;

-$3 million this fiscal year for design work on a new road from KY 305 near KY 998 extending west to the Ohio River Megapark (two lanes initially, four lanes ultimately);

-$6.3 million in fiscal year 2016 for right-of-way work on a new interchange on I-24 at KY 994 (Old Mayfield Road) southeast of Paducah;

-$1.3 million this fiscal year to replace the bridge and approaches on US 62 over Sugg Creek, 0.2 miles north of Woble Road;

-$625,000 this fiscal year and $780,000 next fiscal year for work on a bridge replacement on KY 305 over Massac Creek east of KY 1565;

-$410,000 this fiscal year and $310,000 in fiscal year 2016 to replace the bridge on KY 348 over Camp Creek just north of junction KY 168;

-$750,000 in fiscal year 2015 and $500,000 the following year for work toward construction of a double-crossover diamond interchange on US 60 at the I-24 interchange near Kentucky Oaks Mall;

-$180,000 next fiscal year and $525,000 the following year for work toward replacement of the bridge over Blizzard Ponds drainage canal, about a half mile east of KY 1014;

-$260,000 this fiscal year for inspection of the I-24 bridge over the Ohio River at Paducah (a joint project with Illinois to mitigate scour).