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[hbelkins]

This is the last remaining section to be widened, as construction is already done or is underway on the rest of the route. It was thought that this would not be done for quite some time, since this is the least-traveled segment of the route, so the state undertook a big project to rehab the pavement between exits 46 and 57, redeck a bridge just west of Exit 57, and rebuild the overpass for KY 1010 at Exit 53. Hopefully they will be able to use the work that was already done so they don't have to tear down the new bridge they just built or tear up the pavement they just rehabbed.

Also, it would appear that Mitch McConnell's re-election campaign is in full swing. The state had pretty much abandoned the widening of this portion for the short term. The project was not dead, and it wasn't on life support, but it was pushed to the back burner.

[sprjus4]

A question regarding the Parkway and it’s potential extension -

Have they chosen a preferred alignment for the corridor to Prestonsburg? Last I was aware, options included widening KY-114 or constructing a new alignment.

[hbelkins]

A question regarding the Parkway and it’s potential extension -

Have they chosen a preferred alignment for the corridor to Prestonsburg? Last I was aware, options included widening KY-114 or constructing a new alignment.

Not yet. They still haven't decided. Still balancing ROW costs and the effects of relocating dozens of families vs. construction costs on a new-terrain alignment.

[sprjus4]

A question regarding the Parkway and it’s potential extension -

Have they chosen a preferred alignment for the corridor to Prestonsburg? Last I was aware, options included widening KY-114 or constructing a new alignment.

Not yet. They still haven't decided. Still balancing ROW costs and the effects of relocating dozens of families vs. construction costs on a new-terrain alignment.

From what I’ve seen, the cost of new alignment wasn’t much more.

I personally believe that would be the best route to go, and would allow a full freeway with 70 mph speeds.

[ibthebigd]

Drove the whole Mountain Parkway for the 1st time over the weekend.

I thought it was done all the way to Salyersville, I was so wrong.

I wonder if the Infrastructure Bill could help speed it up

SM-G996U

[hbelkins]

Drove the whole Mountain Parkway for the 1st time over the weekend.

I thought it was done all the way to Salyersville, I was so wrong.

I wonder if the Infrastructure Bill could help speed it up

SM-G996U

The remaining two-lane section (between exits 46 and 57 in Wolfe County) is being let for bids this month.

That section just had an extensive pavement rehab, sign replacement, and a replacement of the KY 1010 bridge about three years ago.

It's the least-traveled portion of the route.

[seicer]

My assumption is that the new KY 1010 bridge will be removed? Why was this constructed?

[The Ghostbuster]

When I first heard of the Mountain Parkway expansion and extension, I expected the extension from Salyersburg-to-Prestonburg to be a limited-access parkway with interchanges and grade-separations. I did not realize the extension was going to be widening the existing roadway to four lanes, while maintaining the existing at-grade intersections.

[sprjus4]

When I first heard of the Mountain Parkway expansion and extension, I expected the extension from Salyersburg-to-Prestonburg to be a limited-access parkway with interchanges and grade-separations. I did not realize the extension was going to be widening the existing roadway to four lanes, while maintaining the existing at-grade intersections.

Not sure what the final decision is. They evaluated both widening and a new location roadway built to interstate standards.

[hbelkins]

My assumption is that the new KY 1010 bridge will be removed? Why was this constructed?

Same reason, I guess, that the Exit 72 KY 30 bridge was reconstructed when the route was two lanes and later removed for the widening. There must have been problems with the existing KY 1010 bridge, but I never knew what they were. When that full rehab was done, it was believed that widening was many years in the future. The project got accelerated.

When I first heard of the Mountain Parkway expansion and extension, I expected the extension from Salyersburg-to-Prestonburg to be a limited-access parkway with interchanges and grade-separations. I did not realize the extension was going to be widening the existing roadway to four lanes, while maintaining the existing at-grade intersections.

Not sure what the final decision is. They evaluated both widening and a new location roadway built to interstate standards.

Long before the widening and the extension of the Mountain Parkway was proposed in its current form, there was a proposal to extend the Mountain Parkway along the ridgetop just to the south of existing US 460 along what's locally called "Restaurant Row" in Salyersville. The road would have tied in somewhere near the existing US 460/KY 114 intersection and would have bypassed the current alignment. There was extreme local opposition to this plan. The fear was that bypassing the businesses along the route would have a devastating effect on the local economy, as Magoffin County is traditionally the county with the state's highest unemployment. So the decision was made to widen existing US 460. Those plans were incorporated into the Mountain Parkway final plans.

AFAIK, there has still not been a decision made on whether to use a new-terrain alignment or existing KY 114 with a few modifications on the segment between Salyersville and Prestonsburg.

[Tom958]

HB: Do you have a photo of the current KY 1010  bridge? I'm sure you do, but as many photos as you've posted, looking for it would be a daunting task.

[hbelkins]

I don't have a photo of the bridge, but the KYTC photolog does:



It's a typical new-construction bridge.

Here's how it looked before it was replaced:



These views are looking westbound.

[plain]

My eyes may be playing tricks on me but it looks like the horizontal clearance between the piers is a bit narrower than before.

[The Ghostbuster]

With the embankment on the right-hand side of the rebuilt bridge, it doesn't look like they left enough space to make the roadway four lanes. It appears they should have left space for the four-lane expansion project. Unless they'll rebuilt the bridges and the interchange a second time (which seems redundant).

[triplemultiplex]

My eyes may be playing tricks on me but it looks like the horizontal clearance between the piers is a bit narrower than before.

It's the different camera angle throwing you off.
In this case, I happen to know the older photo was taken from a camera mounted lower on the DOT vehicle than the newer photo.

[Tom958]

This is really strange. The bents are much closer to the shoulder than they generally are with new construction, as illustrated here. Perhaps they made an exception so they could use AASHTO beams on a heavily-skewed span as they did on one side here.

My eyes may be playing tricks on me but it looks like the horizontal clearance between the piers is a bit narrower than before.

To me, it looks like the clearance is exactly the same as before. I think they retained the existing bents, capped them for extra height, and replaced only the old deck and the tee beams cast monolithically with it.  They do that kind of thing quite a bit in Indiana.

[hbelkins]

I don't know about the support piers or the ends, but I do know the entire deck of that old bridge at KY 1010 was torn down and replaced.

[hbelkins]

Had to go to Paintsville for a work function yesterday, and noticed that the speed limit on the two open portions of the four-lane route (from Exit 57 in Wolfe County extending east into Magoffin County, and near the new Exit 70 all the way to the end of the parkway at US 460) has been permanently posted at 55 mph.

I don't know if this will be changing once the section in between those two portions is completed or not.

The four-lane extending east of Exit 43 to Exit 46 is posted at 65 mph, while the entirety of the old four-lane portion is signed for 70 mph.

[plain]

How sharp are the curves on the sections signed for 55?

[seicer]

The redesigned sections of the Parkway have a design speed of 70 MPH. My take is that it requires legislative action to raise the speed limit to 70 MPH, so we probably won't see it increased from Campton to Salyersville until it's all finished. I wonder the default upper limit for the state is still 65 MPH without legislative action.

[Revive 755]

The redesigned sections of the Parkway have a design speed of 70 MPH. My take is that it requires legislative action to raise the speed limit to 70 MPH, so we probably won't see it increased from Campton to Salyersville until it's all finished. I wonder the default upper limit for the state is still 65 MPH without legislative action.

Existing legislation (see https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=51582) would seem to already allow a speed limit increase up to 70 for the Mountain Parkway by the secretary of transportation.  The statute also reads as if the secretary could up the speed limit to 70 even for two lane sections of the Mountain Parkway and the "Bert T. Combs Mountain Parkway Extension".

[Rothman]

The redesigned sections of the Parkway have a design speed of 70 MPH. My take is that it requires legislative action to raise the speed limit to 70 MPH, so we probably won't see it increased from Campton to Salyersville until it's all finished. I wonder the default upper limit for the state is still 65 MPH without legislative action.

Existing legislation (see https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=51582) would seem to already allow a speed limit increase up to 70 for the Mountain Parkway by the secretary of transportation.  The statute also reads as if the secretary could up the speed limit to 70 even for two lane sections of the Mountain Parkway and the "Bert T. Combs Mountain Parkway Extension".

I am sure that KYTC determines speed limits based upon characteristics of the roadway and environmental factors.  Simply because the max can be 70 doesn't mean it will be.

[hbelkins]

How sharp are the curves on the sections signed for 55?

Not sharp enough to warrant the lower speed limit.

[sprjus4]

I imagine it’s a temporary condition. I recall them saying, at least for a potential new location portion east of Salyersville, the speed limit could be as high as 70 mph.

Given the recent widening brought the parkway up to modern interstate standards, and realigned some sharper curves, I imagine the speed limit will at least be raised to 65 mph eventually, and ideally to 70 mph.

Not sure why it can’t be done now though. My guess is they were going to post 55 mph, the existing speed, then complete a study in the immediate years following to determine an increase. You would have think the project would’ve included a higher speed limit upon completion built into it.

[hbelkins]

It's possible that they didn't want a hodge-podge of varying speed limits along the stretch of route. Going from 70 to 65 near the end of the old four-lane and its extension provides a transition to the 55 zone. The speed limit would go from 70 to 45 (the work zone limit) in the western Magoffin segment. And it would go from 70 to 45 in that stretch between Exit 70 and Restaurant Row in Salyersville.

Contrast that with Virginia, which will sign a higher speed limit on a couple of miles of highway.