The final section of the newly construction four-lane route for KY 80 between Aurora and Mayfield will open soon. The new KY 80 runs further south than its original routing and crosses US 641 closer to Murray than the original route. KY 80's original route has been signed as KY 402 for several years. The opening of the new route will once again make KY 80 a continuous route.

More information: Associated Press: New highway stretch nearly done (Oct. 28, 2009) 

Gov. Ernie Fletcher recently officiated over the ceremonial ground breaking for the next phase of the KY 80 widening project in Western Kentucky. Ground was broken for the phase of the project that will construct a new four lane highway between Murray and Mayfield: Murray Ledger & Times: Next Ky. 80 phase set to break ground Thursday (May 24, 2006) 

State Rep. Melvin Henley recently told the Murray Ledger & Times that the next phase of the KY 80 widening project between Murray and Mayfield has been put on hold: Murray Ledger & Times: Murray-to-Mayfield road work on hold due to funding (Jan. 5, 2006) 

William also noted during a meeting of the Purchase Area Development District that work will not begin to widen US 68/KY 80 through the Land Between the Lakes until a environmental impact statement is approved by the federal government.

More information: Murray Ledger & Times: Road project to resume this summer (Feb. 22, 2005) 

The Murray City Council recently approved a resolution that brings a proposed downtown business loop one step closed to construction. The $1.8 million project would extend from KY 121 south of downtown to KY 94. The project will be partially financed by nearly $1 million in federal funds.

More information: Murray Ledger & Times: Murray moves closer to creation of business loop (Feb. 11, 2005) 

Western Kentuvky’s interstates and parkways were passable, but ice persisted on roads in Christian County on Monday: (Hopkinsville) Kentucky New Era: Slushing along; Roads improving but still slippery (Dec. 27, 2004) 

More than one foot of snow shut down roads in Caldwell County: Princeton Times Leader: Blizzard conditions plague community (Dec. 27, 2004) 

Warmer temperatures are expected to help clear roads statewide: Associated Press: Forecasters say thaw will begin this week (Dec. 28, 2004) 

A train that had been blocking two railroad crossings in Henderson has been moved: The Henderson Gleaner: Stuck train finally gets moving (Dec. 28, 2004) 

Calloway County road crews hope to get a helping hand from warm weather: Murray Ledger & Times: Road crews hope to get aid from sun (Dec. 28, 2004) 

Hardin County residents are happy with local snow cleanup efforts: Hardin County News-Enterprise: Ice, cold temperatures hamper road cleanup (Dec. 28, 2004) 

Roads in Southern Illinois are slick, but open: WPSD NewsChannel 6: Illinois: Rural Roads Are Open But Slick (Dec. 27, 2004) 

US 41 and I-64 in Southern Indiana are in good shape: Evansville Courier & Press: Thaw turning storm into memory (Dec. 28, 2004) 

Up-to-date road conditions can be found at: www.511.ky.gov 

The recently created gap in KY 80 will be one step closer to closure on Thursday when an 8-mile section of newly constructed highway opens in Marshall and Calloway Counties. The new section of highway will complete the new four lane highway between Aurora and US 641 north of Murray. The new roads will be signed as KY 80.

Formally, KY 80 followed a two lane road between Aurora and Mayfield. That road has been renumbered as KY 402.

The next phase of the KY 80 widening project will be to construct a new highway between US 641 and Mayfield.

More information: Murray Ledger & Times: New section of Ky. 80 to open next week (Oct. 16, 2004) , WPSD NewsChannel 6: New highway brings new warnings (Oct. 21, 2004) 

With work to construct a new four lane section of KY 80 between Aurora and US 641 north of Murray nearly completed, focus has shifted to the next stage of the project: construction of another new four lane section between US 641 and Mayfield. The Graves/Calloway County is currently in the grade-and-drain phase of construction. Surfacing of the highway will not begin for sometime, and the road will not be open to traffic for several years.

More information: Murray Ledger & Times: Ky. 68/80 section moving west into Graves County (July 10, 2004) 

Gov. Fletcher and Transportation Secretary Bailey have appointed chief highway engineers for nine of the Division of Highways' twelve districts.

• Edward “Ted” Merryman has been appointed as Chief Highway Engineer for districts 1 and 2. Previously, Merryman was chief highway engineer for district 2. [more information ]
• Greg Meredith has been reappointed as Chief Highway Engineer for district 2. [more information ]
• Gary M. Raymer, P.E. has been appointed as Chief Highway Engineer for district 4. [more information ]
• David Jones, P.E. has been appointed as Chief Highway Engineer for district 6. [more information ]
• Jim Rummage, P.E. has been appointed as Chief Highway Engineer for district 7. [more information ]
• Katrina O. Bradley, P.E. has been appointed as Chief Highway Engineer for district 9. [more information ]
• Samuel H. Beverage, P.E. has been appointed as Chief Highway Engineer for districts 10 and 11. [ more information ]

More information: WKYT: Gov. Fletcher Hires New Highway Engineers (June 29, 2004) , Associated Press: Fletcher appoints top highway engineers (June 30, 2004) , Hardin County News-Enterprise: Highway engineer appointed in E'town (June 30, 2004) , Maysville Ledger-Independent: New KTC Engineer Sees District as Unique (July 2, 2004) 

Funding to continue the reconstruction of KY 80 is included in the new Six-Year Highway Plan. The project to widen KY 80 between Cadiz and Mayfield is broken up into three phases.

• Phase 1 - Aurora to Murray - Construction on this phase of the project is nearly complete. It begins at the approach to US 68-KY 80 bridge over Kentucky Lake and continues westward to US 641 a few miles north of Murray. Construction started several years ago and should be complete this summer.
• Phase 2 - Murray to Mayfield - Construction on this phase was recently begun. This $60 million will construct a new four lane highway between US 641 north of Murray to Mayfield. Construction is expected to last for a couple of years.
• Phase 3 - Cadiz to Aurora - The Six-Year Plan includes $132 million to construct new four lane bridges over Kentucky Lake and Lake Berkeley. Construction on the bridges is scheduled to begin in 2006. Work on the widening project through the Land Between the Lakes has been delayed: the Tennessee Valley Authority gave initial approval for the project; however, ownership of the Land Between the Lakes has since been transferred to the United State Department of Agriculture forest service. Plans for the widening project are expected to be complete this summer, and construction is scheduled for completion in 2007.

The existing two-lane stretch of KY 80 between Aurora and Kentucky 58 east of Mayfield has already been renumbered as KY 402.

More information: Murray Ledger & Times: Committment [sic] shown for Ky. 80 project (Feb. 20, 2004) 

A new four lane route for KY 80 has recently opened between US 68 at Aurora and US 641 at Murray has recently been completed. The Murray to Mayfield section is expected to be open by Spring 2004.

More information: WPSD: Highway 80 Could be Complete in Two Years (Nov. 1, 2002) 

H.B. Elkins posts in this Usenet message  that he has learned from Jeff Moore at the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet that KY 80 will be routed along the new road currently under construction between Aurora and Mayfield. The current route of KY 80 between Aurora and KY 58 near Brewers has been renumbered as KY 402.

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet has scheduled several planning meetings:

• July 30 - New Elizabethtown-Radcliff Connector 
• July 30 - Reconstruction of KY 536 in Boone County 
• Aug. 8 - I-66 Somerset Northern By-Pass 
• Aug. 13 - Widening US 641 in Calloway County 
• Aug. 14/15 - I-66 Meetings in Warren and Edmonson Counties 
• Aug. 15 - Reconstruction of I-64 and US 60 Interchanges on I-265 (Gene Snyder Freeway) 
• Aug. 20 - I-66 in Ballard and McCracken Counties 
• Aug. 20 - Extension of the Edward T. Breathitt Parkway Extension to I-24 in Christian County 

According to this article  (no longer online), Murray leaders have held a public meeting with KYTC officials to ask why it takes so long for stop lights to change along Murray's Twelfth Street.

The KYTC has posted materials from a public meeting  about the proposed widening of US 641 south of Murray. Materials include details on alternate proposals, cost estimates, a questionnaire, and environmental study map.

• Materials from Aug. 16, 2001 public meeting 
• Materials from Jan. 11, 2001 public meeting