STATEMENT RELEASE: SENS. WHEELER AND TURNER REACT TO $116 MILLION FEDERAL INFRASTRUCTURE GRANT EXPEDITING MOUNTAIN PARKWAY EXPANSION

STATEMENT RELEASE:

SENS. WHEELER AND TURNER REACT TO $116 MILLION FEDERAL INFRASTRUCTURE GRANT EXPEDITING MOUNTAIN PARKWAY EXPANSION

FRANKFORT, Ky. (Oct. 16, 2024)—Sen. Phillip Wheeler, R-Pikeville, and Sen. Johnnie Turner, R-Harlan, members of the Senate Transportation Committee, released the following joint statement today regarding the $116.3 million federal infrastructure grant secured to expedite the final segment of the Mountain Parkway expansion. The $150 million general fund allocation championed by the Kentucky General Assembly made this federal funding possible. It provided the executive branch with the necessary resources to move forward in the grant application process.

"For far too long, one of the major impediments to economic development and diversification in Eastern Kentucky has been the relative lack of good roads, particularly the limited access highways necessary for the safe and efficient transport of commercial goods to and from the area. That is about to change with the federal and state commitment to complete the Mountain Parkway as a 70 mph, limited-access highway from Winchester in the heart of the Bluegrass to U.S. 23 in Prestonsburg. This transformative investment by the Kentucky General Assembly, in conjunction with the advocacy of our federal delegation, including Congressman Hal Rogers, Republican Senate Leader Mitch McConnell, and Sen. Rand Paul, will breathe new life into an economically battered region.

"It has long been our desire to make the Mountain Parkway "a road into" Eastern Kentucky rather than a "road out" for our children. With today's announcement of federal matching funds, this vision moves from a dream to reality. The new construction phases on the Mountain Parkway will not only mean a brighter economic future for our region but also bring good-paying, shovel-ready jobs for our construction workers.

"As Eastern Kentuckians and state senators for our region, we are proud to carry on the legacy of the Mountain Parkway's namesake, Governor Bert T. Combs, in supporting the completion of this momentous project."

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Sen. Phillip Wheeler, R-Pikeville, represents Kentucky's 31st Senate District, including Elliott, Johnson, Lawrence, Martin, and Pike Counties. Wheeler serves as co-chair of the Capitol Planning Advisory Board. He is a member of the Interim Joint Committees on Economic Development and Workforce Investment; Transportation; Natural Resources and Energy; Judiciary; and Tourism, Small Business, and Information Technology. Wheeler also serves on the Local Government and State Government Interim Joint Committees.

For a high-resolution .jpeg of Wheeler, please visit: https://legislature.ky.gov/Legislators%20Full%20Res%20Images/senate131.jpg

Sen. Johnnie Turner, R-Harlan, represents the 29th Senate District, encompassing Bell, Floyd, Harlan, Knott, and Letcher Counties. Turner is a member of the Interim Joint Committees on Judiciary, Natural Resources and Energy, Transportation, and Banking and Insurance. He also serves as a member of the Budget Review Subcommittee on Transportation. 

For a high-resolution .jpeg of Turner, please visit: https://legislature.ky.gov/Legislators/Pages/Legislator-Profile.aspx?DistrictNumber=129.

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