FRANKFORT – Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear is not seeking any additional dollars for the state’s $1.5 billion Road Fund but has some major road projects in mind.
On that list are speeding up the Mountain Parkway widening project in Eastern Kentucky and building an I-69 bridge in Western Kentucky.
“Transportation is critical for the safety of our families and the future of our businesses,” said Beshear during a joint session of the Kentucky General Assembly. “And the right projects provide opportunities to transform regional economics, to provide a better future.”
He said the Mountain Parkway expansion and the I-69 bridge “will open up commerce in rural Kentucky in a major way and will improve the quality of life for our people that live in these regions.”
Roads are dear to the hearts of state lawmakers, but they’re also reluctant to raise more money for the Road Fund through higher taxes.
Some had been talking about hiking the state’s current gasoline tax of 26 cents per gallon — only the 32nd highest in the nation — to provide for more road projects but such a jump would be difficult to enact in this election year.
The Republican-led Senate and the governor already are at odds over Senate Bill 4, which would strip the governor of his autonomy in appointing the secretary of the Transportation Cabinet, who currently is former Lexington mayor Jim Gray.
The bill would place some control of the appointment with a nine-member citizen board that would be appointed by the governor. The board would vet and prioritize statewide transportation projects, including a biennial highway construction plan, and recommend candidates for Transportation Cabinet secretary to the governor. The board also would have the power to fire the cabinet secretary.
Beshear will release his six-year road plan for the state during this year’s legislative session.
The state Transportation Cabinet said the Mountain Parkway expansion is expected to range between $343.6 million to $367.6 million.
The ongoing project will widen existing two-lane highways, extending the Mountain Parkway to Prestonsburg along KY 114. When the parkway expansion is completed, the Mountain Parkway will run more than 90 miles between Interstate 64 and US 23 in Eastern Kentucky.
The I-69 bridge project involves a bridge crossing the Ohio River between Henderson and Evansville, Ind . The project cost is approximately $1.4 billion, according to the Transportation Cabinet, but Kentucky’s share would be 65 percent.
Beshear’s two-year budget plan for transportation calls for $6.7 million in the first year and $8.4 million in the second year to help local governments obtain federal grants to buy public transit buses and bus cameras and build transit facilities.
The Beshear budget also includes $4.1 million in the current fiscal year and more than $15 million a year for the next two years to help the state Transportation Cabinet issue Real ID drivers’ licenses to comply with federal security requirements.
Kentuckians face an Oct. 1, 2020, deadline to obtain the licenses for air travel and entering federal buildings.
Beshear also said he wants to invest a record amount of money into the safety of rural roads.
“Using a combination of state and federal funds, my administration will put $100 million to improving our rural road conditions,” he said.
By Jack Brammer
Lexington Herald-Leader
Charley there’s your I 69 bridge
Free money! Whhoooooaaaa…………. No cuts or taxes…….. Gotta love this guy! Taking away from local roads to fund more major highways and infrastructure that aren’t necessary (or at least highest priority). A new I-69 bridge isn’t necessary, especially when other bridges are falling down (Wickliffe, KY – Ohio River Bridge). Not a lot of coal going out of PIkeville on the Mtn Parkway, but yea, nice to have a four lane, but our local highways are slipping, crumbling and full of pot holes, these are state roads; you have to maintain what you have first.