By Rob Ginter - Staff Writer
Gov. Steve Beshear was in town Wednesday to dedicate the completion of the KY 519 reconstruction project.
The $10.6 million Kentucky Transportation Cabinet project improved 2.7 miles of the highway and included straightening of the road, two new bridges and the widening of one bridge, turning lanes and new surfacing for the stretch of road. According to state officials, the road is a mix of rebuilt highway and completely new highway.
The dedication ceremony was held at the Morehead Conference Center and was attended by State Representative Rocky Adkins, State Representative John Will Stacy, State Senator Walter Blevins, and Morehead Mayor David Perkins, all of whom signed a commemorative sign dedicating the road.
“Calling this highway just a road just doesn’t do it justice,” Beshear said. “A road does so much for so many people in the right place. And doing this road it is in the right place. It connects communities, it enables trade and commerce to prosper, and it provides access to food, healthcare, recreation, to homes of friends and families. It links our adults to job opportunities and our young people to higher education.
“Finishing the 2.7 miles is going to have major impact on both (Morgan and Rowan) communities,” said Beshear. “This project is going to have so many positive aspects to it in terms of improving safety. Obviously the straighter roadway is going to ease traffic congestion on the road and provide a safer alternative to the old curvy road that people have had to travel before this, which I know has had a history of very serious accidents.
“By enabling easier access to Morehead and West Liberty this project is not only going to aid local citizens but it is going to help us to encourage economic development for this whole entire area,” Beshear said.
“This road allows people in this community and other communities surrounding us to move into southeast Kentucky and see some of the really beautiful things that they have here,” said Perkins. “There are opportunities there.”
“This road opened up Eastern Kentucky to Morehead,” said Blevins. “It was always a dream of mine to see this road completed.”
