-
About Linking Kentucky
-
How Study Will Be Used
-
Goals
-
Methodology
-
Who We Are
The Kentucky Statewide Corridor Plan, or Linking Kentucky, is a planning study of key transportation corridors within the state. The goal of this study is to provide a safer, more efficient and more reliable highway network to connect people, communities and businesses.
This study identifies current and future transportation needs, gathers insight from stakeholders, and prioritizes corridors that have the greatest potential to better link Kentucky's regions and improve safety, mobility and accessibility.
Linking Kentucky is a project of the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) and supports the Cabinet's mission, and current and future long-range transportation plans.
Linking Kentucky provides data and insight to help the state's transportation leaders prioritize investments in highway corridors. The goals are to increase safety, reduce travel time, improve reliability of Kentucky's highway system, and help encourage economic development throughout the state.
Also known as the Statewide Corridor Plan, Linking Kentucky supports the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet's next Long-Range Statewide Transportation Plan and future Six-Year Highway Plans. The Statewide Corridor Plan is consistent with standard long-range planning requirements and procedures.
Linking Kentucky builds on the success of Kentucky's Strategic Highway Investment Formula for Tomorrow (SHIFT). SHIFT is a data-driven, objective process for prioritizing transportation investments.
The stated goals of the Linking Kentucky study were to:
- Identify current and future statewide needs regarding corridor performance, including safety, mobility, accessibility and system preservation.
- Prioritize statewide and regional corridors with the greatest potential to improve safety, reduce travel time, improve system reliability, improve system linkage and promote economic development.
- Develop practical visions for the most impactful corridors. These visions identify intermediate (2030) and long-term (2045) transportation performance and preservation needs; possible improvements that address the needs; logical construction sections, as appropriate; and strategies for staged improvement implementation (intermediate and long-term) based on expected corridor performance.
- Gather and use input from Planning Partners (Area Development Districts and Metropolitan Planning Organizations), and Key Stakeholders (state and local elected officials, emergency responders, manufacturing and economic development associations, and others).
- Present study goals, methods and findings.
The Linking Kentucky study was conducted through several steps and two phases (Tier 1 and Tier 2) to help identify priority corridors. See roadmap here.
Study Network
During the 18-month study, the project team assessed all state-maintained roadways in Kentucky and narrowed that network to 52 statewide significant corridors and a few "flagged" corridors (i.e., parkways that have recently been upgraded to interstates, are in progress of being upgraded or are being studied to be upgraded, and Brent Spence Bridge as well as I-69 ORX) to develop the Statewide Corridor Network for the study (see details PDF | EXCEL). The aforementioned parkways and Ohio River mega-projects were acknowledged and summarized in the study, but were not included in Tier 1, Tier 2 or visioning phases.
Two-Tier Approach
During Tier 1 of this study, the 26 highest-priority arterial corridors were identified from the 52 significant corridors (see details PDF | EXCEL). This was done using corridor data (mobility, accessibility, safety) and from feedback from Stakeholders and Planning Partners.
During Tier 2, the 26 high-priority arterial corridors were broken down into 45 segments. This was done by using more detailed data regarding at corridor performance (mobility, accessibility, safety, reliability, infrastructure condition, economic benefit, multi-modal opportunity, cost, and other relevant engineering factors) and gathering additional input from Key Stakeholders and Planning Partners.
A total of 20 of the 45 segments were identified as corridors that would benefit from visioning (see details here).
Visioning
Following Tier 2, the Project Team developed visions (current and future conditions, needs and issues, intermediate and long-term planning strategies) for the 20 segments identified by Tier 2. All visioning data is displayed in this GIS Online Tool. Vision reports are not being created for priority corridors that already have planning studies or visioning documents.
Linking Kentucky is a planning study of the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC). The Project Team includes the KYTC Central Office, Chief District Engineers, Highway District Personnel (Planners, Branch Managers, etc.), representatives from Area Development Districts and Metropolitan Planning Organizations and the consultant team.