STORM, BRAY SECURE SIGNIFICANT FUNDING

BENEFITING ROCKCASTLE COUNTY

Transformative funding supports economic growth, local projects and infrastructure upgrades

FRANKFORT, Ky (April 10, 2024)—With the support of Sen. Brandon Storm, R-London, and Rep. Josh Bray, R-Mount Vernon, the state will spend millions of dollars over the next two years focused on economic growth, local projects, upgrades, and road repairs benefiting Rockcastle County.

 

As a provision of House Bill (HB) 1, over $4.67 million will be invested in the Rockcastle County recreational complex. The bill also allocates $150,000 to support facility upgrades at the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame in Mount Vernon. An incredible $62 million is awarded to the Rockcastle, Garrard, and Lincoln Regional Industrial Development Authority through HB 1 for the partnership and development of an industrial mega site. The funding sets a foundation for job creation and economic growth. 

 

HB 1 leverages Kentucky’s $3.7 billion budget reserve trust—resulting from nearly a decade of conservative budgeting and fiscal responsibility—to make transformative one-time investments.

HB 6, the biennial state budget, includes $13 million in a special offer of assistance for Rockcastle County Middle School construction. The funding goes through the School Facility Construction Commission, which distributes funding for the construction and renovation of school facilities equitably among districts according to their unmet facility needs.

Included in the state’s two-year road plan, HB 266, Storm helped secure over $21 million for planning, designing, obtaining right-of-way, utility work, and construction of various projects in the county, including

  • $9 million for improvements to KY Highway 461 from US Highway 150 to the existing four-lane approach at US Highway 25. Construction will be set to begin in 2026, 

  • $3.2 million to address safety, mobility and congestion access management along US Highway 25 (Richmond Street) to the US Highway 25/US Highway 461 intersection to Interstate 75,

  • Over $2.2 million will specifically support local repaving and resurfacing efforts

  • Nearly $2.3 million will support local bridge repairs,

  • Almost 1.7 million for design work to address capacity and access issues along Kentucky Highway 461 from the Pulaski-Rockcastle line to KY Highway 1250,

  • Over $1.1 million for design efforts to address safety, capacity and access issues along KY Highway 461 from KY Highway 1250 to US Highway 150,

  • $1 million for design efforts to address capacity issues from KY Highway 461 to US Highway 25 in Mt. Vernon to continue corridor improvements to US Highway 150. 

  • $300,000 for a planning study to address economic development along US Highway 25 from Interstate 75 exit 62 north to mile-point 17.3, and

  • $250,000 for a planning study on US Highway 25 to address connectivity for future development in Mt. Vernon on the western side of Interstate 75 between exits 59 and 62.

Additionally, House Joint Resolution (HJR) 91 includes scheduled projects and anticipated needs for the remaining four years of the six-year highway construction plan. Find HJR 91 HERE. Rockcastle County-specific projects can be found on pages 198-200. 

 

“I’m very excited to see these improvements come to Rockcastle County and am excited to see local families enjoy the recreational complex, people from around the country and state continue enjoying the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame and I am especially grateful for the support to help address needs at the middle school,” Storm said.

“The funding to improve our local roads will play a big role in safer travel and commutes and will improve the flow of commerce,” he added. “With $62 million aiming to foster economic growth, we will need our local infrastructure to be prepared to support it. The significance of the Senate’s inclusion of over $400 million from the budget reserve trust fund for the road plan cannot be understated. It will go a long way in making critical road, bridge and highway upgrades possible throughout the commonwealth.” 

 

###


Sen. Brandon J. Storm, R-London, represents the 21st Senate District, including Casey, Lincoln, Laurel, and Rockcastle Counties. He recently graduated from the esteemed Henry Toll Fellowship and was the only Kentuckian to participate in the 2023 program. Sen. Storm serves as a Senate member of the Interim Joint Committees of Banking and Insurance; Economic Development and Workforce Investment; Judiciary; Local Government; State Government; Transportation; and Tourism, Small Business and Information Technology. He also serves as the co-chair of the Legislative Oversight and Investigations Committee; a member of the Jail and Corrections Reform Task Force; and a member of the Multimodal Freight Transportation System Improvement Task Force.