KY 461 in Pulaski County gained an additional $25 million in federal funds last week to help further interchange improvement and road widening begun under a $59.5 million grant last year.
Both fund awards came from Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) grants. The original funds were split between Pulaski County Fiscal Court, Calloway County Fiscal Court, and Owensboro Riverport Authority last year, but this latest funding goes straight into KY 461. It will be used to replace intersections at KY 461 and KY 80, Valley Oak Drive and Coin Road. Meanwhile, a further three-mile section of KY 461 will be widened to four lanes to better accommodate tourism and commercial truck traffic.
“This will greatly benefit local residents, regional businesses and more than 4 million annual visitors to Lake Cumberland,” Gov. Matt Bevin said. “These improvements will enhance safety and reduce traffic congestion, and provide additional momentum for future economic growth.”
Construction is expected to begin in September 2020 and continue through mid-2023. The $25 million award was the max amount of BUILD funding that can be awarded to any one project. Further, no more than $150 million of BUILD funding can be given to any one state.