State officials say a proposal to widen the Mountain Parkway in eastern Kentucky will cost less than originally planned.
Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear and state Transportation Cabinet Secretary Mike Hancock plan to make the announcement Thursday at the intersection of the Mountain Parkway and Kentucky 974. A spokesman for the cabinet declined to release details before the announcement, scheduled for 10 a.m. EDT Thursday.
State lawmakers approved a $4.1 billion road construction plan earlier this year that included $123 million to widen the parkway, which connects eastern Kentucky with the rest of the state. State officials say the project will offer more economic opportunities for the region, which has some of the highest poverty and unemployment rates in the nation.