Grayson, Calvin G.

English

University of Kentucky

APPALACHIAN DEVELOPMENT HIGHWAY SYSTEM IN KEN'IDCKY by Calvin G. Grayson Asst. to the State Highway Engineer Kentucky Dept. of Highways The Appalachian Regional Act of 1965 defines the Appalachian Region in Kentucky and includes 49 counties. These 49 counties represent 17,112 square miles in area with a population of 921,152. A little later in the paper a slide will be presented which will delineate the Appalachian Region in Kentucky. On April 9, 1963, President John F. Kennedy appointed a President's Appalachian Regional Connnission. This Commission was charged by the President to prepare a comprehensive action program for the economic development of the Appalachian Region. In 1964, the President's Appalachian Regional Connnission presented its report to the President. The following three reconnnendations were contained in this report: 1. Authorize the construction of a development highway system comprised of new, long distance or inter-city routes built to high-type primary standards. 2. Authorize the construction of local access roads which would serve specific facilities such as those of a recreational, residential or industrial nature, or facilitate the states' school consolidation programs. 3. Coordinate this development highway system with the present ABC and Interstate highway programs and with other phases of overall regional development. During 1964 and the early part of 1965 a sub-team on highways was appointed from the respective highway departments, and Connnissioner Ward served on this sub-team. During this period, several submissions were made to the President's Appalachian Connnission for consideration of corridor mileage in each state. Kentucky, in its earliest submission, submitted and Appalachian Development System in Kentucky totaling approximately 557 miles. On March 9, 1965, the Appalachian Regional Development Highway Act was passed by Congress. This Act created a development system of highways to serve the Appalachian Region, the length of which shall not exceed 2,350 miles. In addition, thereto, there were authorized to be constructed not in excess of 1,000 miles of local access roads to serve specific recreational, residential, connnercial, industrial and other like facilities. To construct this develop-ment system of highways and access roads, the Act authorized $840 million to be appropriated over a five-year period. The Bill further stipulates that the Appalachian Regional Development Act of 1965 shall cease to be in effec·t on July 1, 1971. To administer the Appalachian Regional Development Act, 126 e n e al, the Bill established an Appalachian Regional Collllllission comprised of a Federal co-chairman, and a representative from each of the states included in the Appalachian Region. The Collllllission was empowered by the Act to do the following, relative to the Appalachian Development Highway System: a) approve the general corridor location and termini of the development highways; b) designate local access roads to be constructed; and c) determine priorities for construction of local access roads and of the major segments of develop-ment highways. It was readily apparent that the mileage submitted by the Appalachian states for consideration as Appalachian corridors was too great. It exceeded 2,350 miles as limited by the Bill, and it was also apparent that the $840 million would not be sufficient to cover the cost involved in construction the 2,350 mile system. Kentucky's second submission to the Appalachian Collllllission at the request of the Commission removed Ky. 80 corridor from I-75 to its intersec-tion with US 23 at Allen. The section of US 25-E from I-75 at Corbin to Pineville was also removed at their request. On May 12th, the Appalachian Regional Conunission approved 243.6 miles of Appalachian corridors in Kentucky and determined the design criteria for the Appalachian Highway System. In an effort to expedite the program, because of its limited five-year tenure, the Connnission also approved Quickstart projects at the May 12th meeting which enabled Kentucky and other states to let for construction those projects for which plans were already completed. I think it is interesting to note at this point that Kentucky was the first state to award a construction contract under the Appalachian Program. On July 13th, the Appalachian Regional Connnission approved approximately 435 miles of corridor locations for the Appalachian Development Highway System. Final approval of corridor locations on two sections of the Appalachian Sy~tem in Kentucky are still pending relative to completion of alternative alignment studies. I would like, at this time, to show the corridor locations that have been approved as eligible for Appalachian monies on the Appalachian Highway System in Kentucky by using slides. Slide No. 1 - This slide shows the Appalachian Region in Kentucky and, as stated previously, includes 49 counties.I Slide No. 2 - This slide shows the location of I-64 through the Appalachian Region and also the Mountain Parkway from Winchester to Campton; from Campton to Salyersville, and the extension of this Park-way from Salyersville to Prestonburg. 1The slides used by Mr. Grayson in his presentation are consolidated in Figures 1 and 2. 127 Figure 1 KENTUCKY APPALACHIAN AREA - ADEQUATE SECTIONS TE N ti ES SE E ----------- -~--'--- ------~--------Figure 2 KENTUCKY APPALACHIAN AREA. - APPALACHIAN CORRIDORS AL TERNA Tl VES TENNESSEE -------· --- -0 -s-/ 0 The next slides will show, by corridor, the Appalachian Regional Development Highway System in Kentucky that have been approved as eligible for Appalachian monies. Slide No. 3 - This is the US 23 corridor which has been approved from Greenup Dam through the State of Kentucky to its exit point at Jenkins. You will note in the upper right hand part of the picture, two dotted lines are shown. These are two alternative locations for US 23 from Greenup Dam to Portsmouth. Kentucky has sub-mitted and reconunended that US 23 stay on the Kentucky side from Greenup Dam to South Portsmouth. The total length of the US 23 corridor from South Portsmouth to its exit point at Jen-kins is 157 miles. Approximately 19 miles of this corridor is considered adequate for 1975 traffic. Slide No. 4 - This is the Kentucky 15 corridor which has been approved by the Appalachian Regional Commission as eligible for Appalachian monies, and extends from Campton to Whitesburg. Total length of this corridor is 83.8 miles, of which 24.3 miles is adequate. The section which is considered adequate, of course, is the section from Campton to Jackson which has just recently been constructed. Slide No. 5 - This corridor can be described as US 25-E from the Virginia State Line to Pineville and US 119 from Pineville to Shelbinia and US 119 from Pikeville to South Williamson. The length of the corridor from the Virginia State Line near Middlesboro through Pineville to its junction with US 23 at Payne Gap is 79.6 miles, of which 13 miles is considered adequate. The length of the corridor from Pikeville to the West Virginia Line is 31 miles. Total length of this corridor is 110.6 miles with 13 miles considered adequate, making a total of 92.6 miles eligible for Appalachian funds. Slide No. 6 - This slide shows two corridors - one corridor enters Kentucky on Kentucky 61 and proceeds to Burkesville, from Burkesville it utilizes Kentucky 90 through Monticello, and Somerset to a connection with I-75. You will note the dotted alternatives from near Somerset to I-75. The Kentucky Department of High-ways has recommended that this corridor follow Kentucky 80 to London to an intersection with I-75. Total length of this corridor, utilizing Kentucky 80, is 109 miles with 8.9 miles considered adequate. Removing the adequate section, this leaves approximately 100 miles eligible for Appalachian monies. The other corridor shown on this slide is Kentucky 80 which extends fmm the Virginia State Line at Elkhorn City to its intersection with US 23 at Shelbiana. This corridor is 19.7 miles in length and will extend into Virginia to an inter-section with Route 461 near Grundy. 130 A look at the total Appalachian Development Highway System in Kentucky now, I believe, will reveal the impact that this program will have on Eastern Kentucky and Kentucky as a whole. The total number of inadequate miles approved by the Commission, to date, eligible for Appalachian monies is 433.6 miles. The design criteria which has been approved by the Appalachian Commission is somewhat general in nature, and there has been concern on the part of the states - and especially Kentucky - relative to the uniformity which is needed for the whole Appalachian System. By a resolution passed by the Appalachian Commission the following criteria has been established: 1. The development highway system shall be designed in accordance with pre-vailing Federal-aid standards, specifications, policies and guides appli-cable to the projected type and volume of traffic. 2. The design and construction shall be coordinated so as to achieve continuity and reasonable uniformity throughout the system, and provide for an aver-age, approximate travel speed of 50 m.p.h. between major termini of the system commensurate with terrain. Elements of design such as number of lanes, grade, alignment, and degree of access control may be varied to achieve this objective. 3. The primary objective shall be to design a system to the extent practicable to standards for 1990 traffic. Preliminary estimates indicate, however, that the cost of construction adequate for 1990 traffic may be greater than the funds authorized by the Act. The need to establish continuity within the development system, coupled with the critical ratio of miles and dollars dictates the need to minimize the cost. Therefore, where the need for additional lanes and/or grade separators will not be required until after 1975, these elements shall be deferred. This means that the facilities for the Appalachian System shall be designed for 1990 traffic, but because of the limited funds, shall be constructed to accomodate 1975 traffic. This, in itself, invites many problems relative to the uniformity within the total system. Now that you have observed the approved corridors in Kentucky for the Appalachian Development Highway System, I would like to present a status report of the Appalachian Program in Kentucky. I am sure you can understand the prob-lems and implementations of this Appalachian Highway Act because it has created a new Commission and new guidlines which the Bureau of Public Roads and the Department have not worked with in the past. Because the program was limited to a five year program, it is imperative that all phases of highway location and construction proceed as rapidly as possible or else the completion date of the program will be jeopardized. Recognizing the need to start construct-ion and other phases of engineering as soon as possible, the Appalachian Regional Commission approved Quickstart projects enabling the states to begin work immediately on projects without having to "run the gauntlet of red tape" which has been established under this program. 131 As of this date, the Connnission has approved a total of 76.21 miles of Quickstart projects in Kentucky. On these projects, Kentucky can move ahead with the right of way and construction without having to wait until the decis-ions are made for the final system by the Conunission relative to the use of 100nies, and on which sections of roads the money is to be spent. Now, if we can have the lights dinuned, I would like to show you with some visual aids a status report of Kentucky's Appalachian Program as of July 1, 1966. Because of the Quickstart projects and the scheduling which we have been able to do, it was felt this would be more informative if we chose July 1, 1966, rather than November of this year for a status report. It will be July 1, 1966, before other decisions will be forthcoming from the · Conunission relative to the total system and total money available for each state. It is the intent of the Department that all final design be initiated before July 1, 1966, on the Appalachian Highway System. It is necessary that final design work start in this fiscal year. The only sections which we do not feel can be scheduled for final design by July 1 of next year are those sections where alternative studies are presently under way. I believe this complete slide gives you a clear picture of the Appalachian Program as of July 1, 1966. As stated previously, the Appalachian Development Act establishes an access road program for the region. Kentucky had hoped to secure more money under this program than has been presently allotted. The Appalachian Regional Conunission has determined the maximum participation of Appalachian funds on a per-mile basis and also allocated the total money which each state, will receive under this program. The Conunission reconunended that $35 million of the $840 million total appropriation for the Appalachian Highway Program be authorized for access road projects. The Conunission recognized that a 1,000-mile access road program could not be financed with monies under the Act and, therefore, have passed a resolution indicating that a minimum of 500 miles of local access roads be constructed as a part of the Appalachian Program. The Conunission has further reconunended that the Federal contribution to the local access road program within each state not exceed $70,000 per mile. Kentucky's total Appalachian funds available for the Appalachian Access roads are $1,680,000 to be used within the next five years. An initial allocation of $420,000 has been made to Kentucky. I am sure from these figures, it is obvious that the Access Road Program in each of the states as well as Kentucky will be a relatively small program. With only $70,000 per mile participation by the Federal Government, will, of course, lower the number of miles which can be constructed as access roads. You may be interested in knowing some of the problems encountered by the Department on Appalachian projects. One access road which the Department submitted to the Conunission has taken over four and one-half months to receive approval. I am sure you can understand the problems this brings to the High-way Department in attempting to schedule right of way and design, but cannot move forward with these projects until approval is received from the Sec-retary of Conunerce. Presently, all projects IIUst be approved by the App-132 alachian Regional Connnission. Their approval is then sent to the Secretary of Conunerce, and with his concurrence it is then sent to the Bureau of Public Roads in Washington. From the Washington office of the Bureau of Public Roads it is sent to the Regional BPR office and from there to the Division office in Frankfort. Kentucky's primary concern at this time is that heretofore the states have been given the choice of determining their priorities and also those sections of road on which they would spend their money. The law, as presently written, gives this power to the Appalachian Regional Connnission and the Bureau of Public Roads. On the basis of the present cost estimates which have been sent in, it is apparent that the authorization of $840 million for this program is some-where in the vicinity of $400-500 million shy of the necessary money to improve the total system. Kentucky, of course, is most concerned that they get their equitable share from the program so the improvements can be made to the maxi-nrum number of miles that have been included in the Appalachian Development Highway System. 133 us 23 corridor Schedule Advertising From To Length Date Russell By-Pass Armco Impr. Project 1.05 mi. April 1966 Armco Improvement Ky. 5 • 70 mi. April 1966 us 60 (34th St. in Catlettsburg) 1.80 mi. Feb. 1966 I-64 Louisa By-Pass 19 .90 mi. April 1966 Louisa By-Pass 2.82 mi. June 1965 us 119 Corridor Ford Harlan County Line 2.83 mi. Sept. 1965 Harlan Co. Line Keith 9.50 mi. June 1966 Keith Baxter 3.06 mi. Sept. 1965 ISY· 15 Corridor Combs Quicksand 25.79 mi. March 1966 WCL Whitesburg Uz (G & D) 2.18 mi. Uz Van (G & D) 2.19 mi. June 1965 Van Isom (G & D) 2.69 June 1965 WCL Whitesburg Isom (Surfacing) 7.06 Dec. 1965 ~· 90 Corridor \ Burnside 1.7 miles West 1.7 June 1966 ~ 

Appalachian Development Highway System in Kentucky

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Appalachian Development Highway System in Kentucky

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