From the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet Department of Highways District 4 on April 17, 2010:

Part of Breathitt-Pennyrile Parkway Extension Phase 2 scheduled to open for limited traffic Monday at Hopkinsville
Allows access to Lover’s Lane, Convention Center

HOPKINSVILLE, Ky. – Beginning Monday, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet plans to partially open Phase 2 of the Breathitt-Pennyrile Parkway Extension Project at Hopkinsville. The partial opening will allow access to Lover’s Lane and the nearby Hopkinsville Convention Center.

According to Kevin McClearn, chief highway engineer for District 2, partially opening Phase 2 is a sign of continuing progress on the new connection to Interstate 24 from Hopkinsville.

“This is just another step of many taking us toward eventual completion of the parkway extension,” McClearn said. “The connection to Lover’s Lane will allow local traffic to start using this new highway in a limited way while our contractor continues working on Phase 3 that will further extend the parkway about five miles to connect with a new interchange at I-24.”

When the limited section opens at 8 a.m., CDT, Monday, all southbound traffic will continue to take the exit ramp to the US 68 Hopkinsville Bypass/Eagle Way. At that point, trucks and other through traffic will continue to turn left to follow the bypass eastbound to US 41-Alternate to continue the trip southward toward I-24. Local passenger vehicle traffic, however, will be able to continue across the bypass and take the new southbound entry ramp to re-enter the parkway southbound to continue to Lover’s Lane and the Bruce Convention Center area.

Motorists on Lover’s Lane who wish to take the parkway northbound will take the entry ramp and continue northward on the parkway, or take the exit ramp to the bypass.

Hopkinsville Mayor Dan Kemp says he is delighted to have the new parkway segment open to traffic on a limited basis.

“Opening this segment of the extension will provide easier access to the Bruce Convention Center from the north,” Kemp said. “It will also allow residents of the Lover’s Lane area to have direct access to the parkway when they want to travel to the north. It just highlights the progress we’re making to improve our infrastructure and transportation system here in Hopkinsville.”

Transportation officials remind motorists to be alert for changes in traffic flow that the limited opening of the new section may create at the Exit 6 interchange with the US 68 Hopkinsville Bypass.

Phase 1 of the extension project opened in 2008 and completed the parkway to the US 68 Hopkinsville Bypass at Exit 6. Phase 2 runs from the bypass to Lover’s Lane near the Hopkinsville Convention Center.

The contractor, Rogers Group, has crews working on construction of Phase 3 under a $40.3 million contract for the final 4.9 miles of roadway needed to connect the Breathitt-Pennyrile Parkway to I-24.

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