Construction could begin on the proposed 60-mile Heartland Parkway in 2008: Central Kentucky News-Journal: Heartland Parkway now in state road plan (Feb. 22, 2006) 

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet has recommended that the proposed “Heartland Parkway” between Columbia and Springfield be constructed by widening KY 55, US 68, and KY 555 to four lanes along their existing route.

More information: Central Kentucky News-Journal: Heartland Parkway could be a little closer (March 6, 2005) 

Construction of the proposed Shelbyville bypass is still on track to begin this year. The state transportation cabinet is in the process of purchasing the right of way for the project, and contracts for the construction of the project are scheduled to be let in March. The bypass will connect KY 55 at US 60 south of Shelbyville with KY 55 north of town.

More information: Shelbyville Sentinel-News: Officials: Bypass still on track (Dec. 30, 2004) 

Last Wednesday, a group of concerned citizens proposed work to straighten a curve along KY 55 in Nelson County: (Bardstown) Kentucky Standard: Group protests Big Spring road project (Oct. 22, 2004) 

A project to reconstruct a half-mile segment of KY 55 near the Big Spring Cemetery in Bloomfield was scheduled to begin today. Area resident have expressed some concern that about the impact the project will have the nature of the nearby cemetery.

More information: The (Bardstown) Kentucky Standard: KY 55 road project begins Monday (Oct. 11, 2004) 

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet recently presented three options for the so-called Heartland Parkway in central Kentucky between Columbia and Springfield.

• Option 1 would construct a new interstate-like highway between the Cumberland Parkway and Blue Grass Parkway. The new highway would follow a corridor roughly two miles to the west of KY 55/US 68/KY 555.
• Option 2 would widen the existing KY 55/US 68/KY 555 route to four lanes.
• Option 3 would keep the current KY 55/US 68/KY 555 route at two lanes, but add passing lanes every three miles.

Area residents expressed a wide variety of opinions about the three options at the recent public meetings.

More information: Lebanon Enterprise: Opinions vary about Heartland Parkway options (August 19, 2004) 

A meeting presenting a number of proposals for the Heartland Parkway brought a variety of responses: Central Kentucky News Journal: Opinions vary about Heartland Parkway options (Aug. 15, 2004) 

Team Taylor County executive director Kevin Sheilley recently reported at a meeting of the Campbellsville/Taylor County Industrial Development Authority that he believes planning for the Heartland Parkway is still on track: (Campbellsville) Central Kentucky News Journal: FOL building may be demolished (June 6, 2004) 

• Heartland Parkway  in Central Kentucky. (more information )
• KY 44  in Bullitt County.
• KY 88  in Hart and Grayson Counties.

Work on constructing a new bypass around Shelbyville has been delayed. Ground breaking was originally planned for this year; however, right of way purchase has not yet been completed. If the transportation cabinet can afford it, ground breaking will begin next year. The new bypass will connect the KY 55-US 60 intersection to KY 55 north of Shelbyville.

More information: Shelbyville Sentinel News: Bypass won't go until next year -- maybe later (April 2, 2004) 

The U.S. House of Representatives recently passed a transportation project authorization bill containing a number of Kentucky projects. Including:

The Louisville-Southern Indiana Bridges Project

• $7 million for continuing the Brent Spence Bridge replacement study
• I-65 connector route in Warren County
• Pennyrile Parkway extension in Christian County
• The Heartland Parkway
• I-66 northern bypass of Somerset

The Senate has passed a similar bill. Differences between the two bills must now be reconciled and passed by both houses before going before the president for his approval or veto.

More information: Courier-Journal: Bill with bridges money held up (Apr. 1, 2004)  , Business First of Louisville: House passes bill with funding for bridges project (Mar. 29, 2004) , Cincinnati Post: $7M for bridge a drop in bucket (Apr. 3, 2004) , Kentucky New Era: $8 million approved for parkway extension (Apr. 3, 2004) , Central Kentucky News-Journal: Parkway is closer to reality (Apr. 4, 2004) 

The Cincinnati Enquirer reports that greater Cincinnati area projects are fairing poorly in the bill: Cincinnati Enquirer: Local roads kicked to the curb (Apr. 2, 2004) 

Transportation officials have revealed three options for a proposed route between Columbia and Springfield. The proposed route has been called the Heartland Parkway and would pass through Adair, Taylor, Marion and Washington Counties.

One option would see the construction of the an interstate-type highway between the Louie B. Nunn Cumberland Parkway and the Blue Grass Parkway.

A second option would widen a route along KY 55, US 68, and KY 555 to four lanes.

A third option would simply add one mile of passing lanes to every three miles of road along KY 55, US 68, and KY 555 between the two parkways.

Current highway plans include no funding for the project other than this initial study.

More information: Central Kentucky News-Journal: Heartland Parkway -- Three options unveiled for 60-mile road (March 14, 2004) 

Materials from recent public meeting concerning the proposed Heartland Parkway have been posted on the transportation cabinet's web site. The proposed corridor will follow KY 55 and KY 555 from the Louie B. Nunn Cumberland Parkway to the Martha Layne Collins Blue Grass Parkway.

More information: KYTC Division of Planning: Heartland Parkway 

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet will hold a series of public meetings to discuss the construction of a new four lane divided highway between Springfield and Columbia along the KY 55/KY 555 corridor.

• Sept. 2 - Lebanon
• Sept. 4 - Columbia
• Sept. 8 - Springfield
• Sept. 11 - Campbellsville

More information: Lebanon Enterprise: Public meeting is scheduled for Heartland Parkway discussion (Aug. 27, 2003) 

A state historical marker along KY 55 near the location Shelby County's first settlement, Painted Stone Camp, has been returned. The sign was removed when KY 55 was widened in 1996 and has been stored in a Transportation Cabinet garage since then.

More information: Shelbyville Sentinel-News: After six years, historical sign returns home (July 30, 2003) 

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet has posted information about the proposed Heartland Parkway here: KY-55 Heartland Parkway 

The 2002 federal transportation spending bill includes $500,000 for the study of a proposed Heartland Parkway in Taylor, Marion, Washington and Green counties. Despite its name, this road will probably not be a toll road as my understanding is that federal law prohibits the placing of tolls on any road on which federal money has been spent. Instead, if built, this route would probably be a four lane reconstruction of KY 55. The proposed road would connect to the Louie B. Nunn Cumberland Parkway near Columbia and the Blue Grass Parkway near Springfield. More details can be found here , here , and here  (no longer online).

The conference version of the Transportation spending bill  has passed both houses of Congress and is now waiting to be signed by the President.

Kentucky is mentioned several places in the bill:

• $2,000,000 for an Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) providing Eastern Kentucky rural highway information,
• $750,000 for an ITS for Lexington,
• $2,000,000 for a statewide transportation operations center,
• the corridors for I-66 and I-69 have been redefined: I-66 is now defined to use the Nunn Cumberland Parkway and I-69 is now defined to use the Carrol Purchase Parkway,
• Kentucky may now post signs saying "Future I-69" on the Purchase Parkway and "Future I-66" in the Cumberland Parkway,
• $4,000,000 for to help access to an industrial park in Clay and Leslie counties,
• $50,000 for work on Kentucky 55,
• $1,600,000 for work on Kentucky 192 in McCreary county,
• $1,000,000 for improvements to the intersection at the end of Grover Carey Bridge in Owensboro,
• $250,000 for work on Kentucky 61 in Green county,
• $300,000 for work on Kentucky 92 in Whitley county,
• $20,000,000 for I-66 (I believe this is the Somerset-London segment.),
• $2,500,000 for I-66 in Pike County,
• $320,000 for work on KY 1848 between I-64 and US 60,
• $1,000,000 for the Monticello Street underpass in Somerset,
• $1,000,000 for work on the Pennyrile Parkway (I believe this is for the southern extension to I-24),
• $1,500,000 for work on Stone Coal Road in Johnson county,
• $2,000,000 for work on US 25 near Renfro Valley,
• $5,000,000 for work on US 27 between Somerset and KY 70,
• $80,000 for work on US 27 near Burnside,
• $850,000 for work on US 431 near Lewisburg,
• $500,000 for right-of-way for US 60 in Henderson County,
• $100,000 for work on US 41A,
• $50,00 for Estill County bypass lighting around Irvine,
• $300,000 for Estill County industrial park access road,
• $400,000 for Fegenbush Lane Bridge at Fern Creek,
• $1,000,000 for Henderson riverfront project,
• $1,000,000 for engineering work on Kentucky 61 from Kentucky 487 to Columbia,
• $800,000 for Johnstown Road,
• $2,350,000 for Kentucky Transportation Cabinet for Regional Trail Improvements,
• $1,000,000 for improved access to Louisville's water front park,
• $600,000 for median on US 42 from Harrods Creek to River Road,
• $1,800,000 for Owensboro Riverfront redevelopment project,
• $42,600 for Park City sidewalks,
• $2,000,000 for Somerset downtown revitalization,
• $6,600,000 for Southern bypass around the southwestern portion of Somerset,
• $125,000 for Vine Grove sidewalks,
• $2,000,000 for Clarks River National Wildlife Refuge,
• $1,400,000 for Cold Hill Road,
• $995,000 for Craigs Creek Road,
• $1,500,000 for Daniel Boone Parkway between mileposts 37 and 44,
• $2,000,000 for Brent Spence Bridge replacement I-75 and I-71 near Cincinnati,
• $375,000 for work at I-75 Exit 11,
• $2,500,000 for Louisville-Southern Indiana Ohio River Bridges project,
• $885,000 for Kentucky Scenic byways (Country Music Highway, Wilderness Road Heritage Highway, Cumberland Cultural Heritage Highway),
• $30,000,000 for work Appalachian Development Highway System,
• $4,534,000 for the Kentucky Transportation Department to provide buses, vans, cutaways, and bus facilities in the Commonwealth of Kentucky,
• $1,500,000 for Big South Fork Scenic Railroad enhancement project, and
• $5,000,000 for Southern Kentucky Intermodal Transportation Park.

Quite an impressive haul; however, there is no funding for I-175.