SALYERSVILLE, Ky. (June 22, 2018) — Within a few weeks, three new sections of access road will open in the Restaurant Row Segment of the Mountain Parkway Expansion project. The opening of these roads, along with bridge construction nearby, paves the way for the next phase of the project: expanding a busy 2.4-mile section of the Mountain Parkway to four lanes.
By early July, three new roads will open to traffic:
• A service road on the north side of the Mountain Parkway from near the Magoffin County Health Department to near Subway; this road is also accessible from a connector road near First Commonwealth Bank.
• A frontage road running on the south side of the parkway from Parkway Drive to near L&H Alignment and the car wash.
• A frontage road on the south side of the parkway near Magoffin County High School.
After these roads open, direct access to the parkway will be closed off gradually in preparation for widening the main roadway.
Transitioning traffic to access roads will improve safety for drivers and pedestrians in this busy stretch of roadway. “Having dozens of access points – and having them so close together – makes it challenging for drivers to exit businesses along the parkway safely, especially if they are turning left,” said Marshall Carrier, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet’s project manager for the Mountain Parkway Expansion. “By consolidating the number of places where drivers can enter the main roadway and by funneling this traffic out at stop lights, we reduce the number of conflict points where accidents can occur.”
These roads will also improve access to businesses. “Drivers will see little to no difference in the time it takes to reach a business, and they will also able to use an access road to loop back to a location they have already passed,” said Marshall Carrier. “The project team met with dozens of area residents, business and property owners to prepare them for the significant improvements that are planned and to make sure that the best interests of this community were served.”
Work to widen the main roadway is expected to begin later this year. All construction on the Restaurant Row segment is scheduled to be completed in 2019.
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