TURNER SECURES TRANSFORMATIVE
FUNDING FOR KNOTT COUNTY
FRANKFORT, KY (May 16, 2024)—Knott County will receive significant support for local projects and road improvements thanks to the advocacy of Sen. Johnnie Turner, R-Harlan.
As a result of a Senate-led proposal, House Bill (HB) 1 included $450 million for the state’s two-year road plan, HB 266, to boost projects statewide. HB 1 leverages $2.7 billion from the state’s budget reserve trust fund.
Included in the biennial road plan specifically for Knott County is more than $19.7 million for planning, designing, obtaining rights-of-way, utility work, and construction of various road and bridge projects in the county, including
$6.7 million to eliminate rockfall hazards from KY Highway 2029 to Rock Fork Road,
$4.92 million for new construction of a one-mile stretch of KY Highway 1231 beginning at the bridge after leaving Highway 550,
Over 1.64 million for three bridge projects:
$1.21 million for a bridge project on KY Highway 1102 at Montgomery Creek,
$242,000 for a bridge on Fieldwood Drive at Troublesome Creek,
$188,729 for a bridge on KY Highway 550 at Ogden Creek,
$1.3 million to eliminate rockfall hazards 0.2 miles west of the intersection of KY Highway 1087 and KY Highway 80,
Nearly $1.23 million to improve roadway geometrics along KY Highway 899 from the end of prior construction near Pippa Passes to the bottom of the hill at Short Branch,
$1.1 million to address safety, congestion, and geometrics from KY Highway 899 to KY Highway 3391,
$974,000 to support guardrail installation efforts throughout the county. Find specific guardrail projects on pages 143-145 of HB 266,
$600,000 to improve horizontal and vertical roadway geometry, eliminating the substandard curve and increasing sight distance on KY Highway 1098 at mile point 10.5-11.0,
$545,000 for safety improvements to the curve 3.654 miles east of the intersection at KY Highway 3209 and KY Highway 1087,
$500,000 to eliminate rockfall hazards along KY Highway 80 from mile point 11.23 to 11.55, and
$210,000 for improvements to the visibility at the intersection of KY Highway 15 and KY Highway 1231 (Big Branch Road) around Carr Fork Lake.
Knott County will also receive $25,000 through House Joint Resolution (HJR) 92 to support a priority project to bit patch Middle Quicksand Road.
Additionally, HJR 91 includes scheduled projects and anticipated needs for the remaining four years of the six-year highway construction plan. Find HJR 91 HERE. Knott County-specific projects can be found on pages 133-135.
A notable example relevant to Knott County residents as a result of transformational funding included in HB 1 is $3.5 million to the Knott County Fiscal Court to improve water services.
The 2024 Legislative Session concluded on Monday, April 15. The 2024 Interim will begin in June.
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Sen. Turner, R- Harlan, represents the 29th Senate District, encompassing Bell, Floyd, Harlan, Knott, and Letcher Counties. Senator Turner is a member of the Interim joint committees on Judiciary, Natural Resources and Energy, Transportation, and Banking and Insurance. He served on the 2023 Multimodal Freight Transportation System Improvement Task Force.
For a high-resolution .jpeg of Turner, please visit: https://legislature.ky.gov/Legislators/Pages/Legislator-Profile.aspx?DistrictNumber=129
Please visit Legislature.ky.gov for more information on Senate Majority Caucus members and the recently concluded 2024 Legislative Session.
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