The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet recently noted it has awarded more than $1 billion in construction project contracts since January: a sign that “Kentucky’s economy is surging ahead” as the COVID-19 pandemic recedes statewide.
[Above photo by the KYTC]
“Our transportation system, with thousands of bridges and thousands of miles of roadway, connects our communities, carries the lifeblood of our commerce and supports thousands of jobs,” Governor Andy Beshear (D) noted in a statement.
“Even in the face of a pandemic, we simply could not allow a lapse in the construction, maintenance and continuous improvement of this critically vital system,” he added. “Now our economy is bouncing back, and transportation is a big part of that.”
At the same time, KYTC said it has allocated more than $125 million in discretionary, emergency aid, and rural-secondary funding over the past five months to help build, repair and maintain local streets, sidewalks, and rural roads in communities across the state.
“The pandemic, especially in its early months, had a devastating effect on the Kentucky Road Fund, from which we pay for our highway program,” noted KYTC Secretary Jim Gray said. “But now our transportation program is gaining strength and momentum, as is our overall economy.”
For example, KYTC noted that the state’s April sales tax receipts set an all-time monthly record at $486.5 million, with vehicle usage tax receipts exceeding $64 million – revenues that partly go toward funding Kentucky’s transportation systems.
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