NKyTribune staff
The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) Tuesday released a data-driven list of projects that are candidates for state transportation funding, using initial results from the State Highway Investment Formula for Tomorrow (SHIFT).
The results will be a key component in developing the upcoming 2020 Highway Plan.
The statewide list includes 49 high-ranking projects under consideration for funding – interstates and highways that move people and goods from one Kentucky region to another and to other states – as well as 74 committed projects that are highly ranked enacted projects from the 2018 Recommended Highway Plan.
The 123 projects will receive priority consideration as KYTC develops the Recommended Highway Plan, a six-year outline for transportation spending, presented to the 2020 General Assembly to guide decision-making.
SHIFT is a formula-based process that uses objective data on safety, congestion, asset management, economic growth and benefit-cost ratios. It is the product of Gov. Matt Bevin’s pledge to create a more balanced, data-driven, transparent approach to prioritizing the Commonwealth’s transportation funding.
The highest-ranked Northern Kentucky SHIFT project is the Brent Spence Bridge in Kenton County. Surprisingly, it is not the highest-rated project in the state, or the most costly.
The maximum possible SHIFT statewide score is 100 and factors considered include safety, congestion, asset management, economic growth and benefit/cost.
The highest ranked Northern Kentucky project under consideration for statewide funding is the Brent Spence Bridge in Kenton County, with a score of 64.8 and a remaining cost of $1.2 billion. Perhaps somewhat surprisingly, it is not the highest ranked, or the most expensive project on the list.
A major widening project to improve Newtown Pike in Fayette County from KY-4 to Interstate-75, at a cost of $27.6 million, received a score of 73.2.
The most expensive project on the list is also in Northern Kentucky, in Campbell County.
A $1.6 billion major widening project to improve congestion along the Interstate-471 corridor from US 27 to the Ohio state line received a score of 58.5, ranking it seventh among projects under consideration for statewide funding.
Another Northern Kentucky project, ranked ninth, is a $300 million congestion mitigation project in Boone County. It would improve safety, mobility, operations and geometrics at the junction of Interstate-75 and Interstate-275, and the system-to-system ramps.
“SHIFT 2018 helped Kentucky leaders develop the most balanced, responsible and objective Highway Plan in modern times,” said Transportation Secretary Greg Thomas. “With the help of local transportation leaders, lawmakers and the cabinet’s transportation professionals, we will continue to chart a dependable path forward for our citizens.”
SHIFT 2020 at a Glance
Scoring Factors
•Safety
•Congestion
•Asset Management
•Economic Growth
•Benefit/Cost
Committed Projects
•Highly ranked projects enacted from the Recommended Highway Plan
•Design phase complete
•Includes federal grant projects (BUILD and INFRA) and the I-Move Kentucky corridor project
Statewide Projects
•Highly ranked projects with statewide impact under consideration for funding from SHIFT 2020 initial scoring – interstates and highways that move people and goods from one Kentucky region to another and to other states.
Regional Projects
•Projects ranked highly in initial scoring will be prioritized by local officials and transportation leaders in four geographic regions of the state. Leaders will screen area projects with regional impact, as well as statewide projects that did not advance to the statewide list.
The next step will be development by local officials and transportation leaders (Area Development Districts, Metropolitan Planning Organizations and KYTC District Offices) of priority projects that will have a regional impact.
Leaders in four broad geographic regions of the state – each including three KYTC districts – will gather to discuss priorities for their areas from a list of more than 1,000 regional projects and statewide projects that did not advance to the statewide list.
Later this fall, the statewide and regional lists developed under SHIFT 2020 scoring will guide formulation of the Recommended Highway Plan.
The plan will also include funding for priorities outside of SHIFT, including projects already underway and federally designated programs such as the Transportation Alternative Program and the Congestion Mitigation Air Quality program funded through the Office of Local Programs.
For more information about SHIFT 2020 and to view the statewide projects list, click here.
Contact the Northern Kentucky Tribune at news@nkytrib.com
Why is it the state’s problem to pay for federal highways? Makes no sense. the foundational reason for paying federal taxes is to cover the interstates, military, and other major basic needs of the public. Why should the state be stuck paying for parts of federal interstate projects, like the brent spence bridge?
The feds should scrap unrealistic entitlement programs that are so underfunded that if you taxed every working person 100% it still wouldn’t fund entitlements alone. and that not even considering covering other basic tax items such as roads.
Hopefully Trump with make more major tax cuts and guts the entitlement programs. No one works now a days anyways. Put all the people sitting at home back to work. No wonder you go anywhere and they’re so understaffed they can barely stay open. The economy is good right now, but not that good to where it should almost be impossible to find workers.
Heck, half the manufacturing jobs already moved out of the country and automation is steadily picking away at jobs, people should still be looking for work.