The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet launched a new telephone and online travel information system on November 27, 2002. By dialing 511 from most telephones in the commonwealth, travelers can receive up-to-date information about driving conditions on Kentucky's highways. The information is also available online at www.511.ky.gov .

More information: KYTC Press Release , Contra Costa Times: Some cell phones don't get 511 report (Dec. 24, 2002) 

Gov. Patton has defended the design of the new license plates by saying, "they don't put Rembrandts on the backs of cars." He also said that he personally had nothing to do with the design of the license plates, but that he does like it.

More information: Herald-Leader: Patton defends hiring and smiley-face plates (Jan. 7, 2003) 

The Bowling Green Daily News reports that the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet will be holding public meetings in February to discuss possible routings for I-66 in Barren County, Edmonson County, and Warren County.

More information: Daily News: Community meetings will further discuss proposals for I-66 routes (Dec. 31, 2002) 

Local residents are concerned about the impact road work on US 119 is having on Pine Mountain in Letcher County. The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet is currently in the process of straightening several curves on US 119's crossing of Pine Mountain. This work is causing much more of the mountain to be stripped than local residents had expected.

The state plans to be eventually build a tunnel through Pine Mountain. The current road work is a stopgap measure until the tunnel can be constructed.

US 119 over Pine Mountain has been closed to vehicles over 30 feet for over a year because such vehicles were involved in an inordinate amount of crashes.

More information: Daily Independent: Portions of mountain stripped (Jan. 7, 2003) 

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet has distributed between 6,000 and 7,000 surveys seeking citizen input on the future route of I-66 between Somerset and London. Similar surveys were used to help determing the route of the Somerset Northern By-Pass, another segment of future I-66.

More information: The Sentinel-Echo: Survey seeks opinions on I-66 (Jan. 9, 2002) 

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet is installing high-strength fences along some highways in Eastern Kentucky to limit the effects of rock falls. The fences are designed to catch falling debris and prevent it from blocking the road. These fences have already been installed along a section of Kentucky 1274 in Menifee County and are being installed along a section of US 23 in Pike County. Rock falls are common along highways in Eastern Kentucky. Recently, a rock fall on KY 1460 closed the highway for two days.

More information: Daily Independent: State tries fences to keep rocks off roadways (Jan. 9, 2003)