Perhaps the hottest project right now for the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet District 2 is the “Pembroke Connector” — as it would better connect commerce, tourism and daily travelers along KY 115 in southern Christian County to the I-24 corridor.
During Monday’s South Western Kentucky Economic Development Council session, KYTC District 2 Engineer Deneatra Henderson noted these efforts are being broken up into two separate projects: a railroad bridge cresting the CSX rail line, and the road before and after it.
There is great expectation, Henderson added, for Commerce Park II’s connection to KY 115 — namely the road to and from Ascend Elements — be completed by the end of 2023. The highly-anticipated electric vehicle battery industrial site has already broken ground on the massive investment, and there is a promise for production to begin in 2024.
Another arm of this project, of course, is the widening of KY 115 — particularly its three miles south of the interchange.
When she took this position in 2018, moving over from District 3, Henderson said that widening was at the top of District 2’s list. It’s on top of hers, as well.
However, Henderson said the plan has since developed into working on both the connector and the widening in tandem, and that designs for this effort began back in 2018.
Henderson said it was “no secret” to the “KYTC folks in Frankfort” that she was behind the widening of KY 115 — both from a commerce and from a safety standpoint in the region.
She further noted that this widening plan was “moving a little slower,” though it is located in both the biennium and SHIFT road plans as a priority. Furthermore, its preliminary design is complete, and right-of-way acquisition, she said, should begin sometime in 2023.
It does not, however, just yet include the possible widening of the KY 115 bridge and interchange along I-24.
Two other projects Henderson discussed Monday: the eventual pavement rehab of US 41 between Pembroke and Hopkinsville, and the dream vision of turning I-24 from four-lane to six-lane for 1 ½ miles north of the KY-TN state line.
She said concrete roads needed special treatment in their repair and restoration.
Meanwhile, Henderson said a six-lane transformation would cost more than $100 million in 2018, and would cost even more now.
SWK EDC meets monthly in Hopkinsville.
