Bert T. Combs Mountain Parkway

Bert T. Combs Mountain Parkway
Route information
Length:	75.627 mi[1] (121.710 km)
Major junctions
West end:	I-64 near Winchester
East end:	US 460 near Salyersville
Location
Counties:	Clark, Powell, Wolfe, Morgan, Magoffin
Highway system
Highways in Kentucky Interstate US State Parkways

The Bert T. Combs Mountain Parkway, commonly known as the Mountain Parkway, is a freeway in eastern Kentucky. The route runs from Interstate 64 just east of Winchester southeast for 75.627 miles (121.710 km) to a junction with U.S. Route 460 near Salyersville. The first 43 miles (69 km), beginning at the western terminus in Winchester is a four-lane limited access highway with only minor design standard differences from an Interstate Highway, while the remainder is a limited access Super two highway.

History

A large portion of the parkway is four lanes wide

The Bert T. Combs Mountain Parkway was built in the early 1960s and opened in January 1963 as Kentucky's second toll road. The route was originally signed only as the 'Mountain Parkway'. In the late 1970s, the "Bert T. Combs" name was added to honor the governor from the mountains who spearheaded construction of the highway. Auxiliary plates were added above the circular Mountain Parkway signs to mark the designation.

As with all of Kentucky's toll roads, the tolls were removed as the construction bonds were paid off. Tolls were removed from the four-lane section in 1985, and the road became a freeway in 1986 when the remaining tolls were removed from the two-lane section.

The route was designated Kentucky Route 114 in April 1985. In August, the road was redesignated Kentucky Route 402. Later, in February 1990, the parkway was designated Kentucky Route 9000 from its western terminus to Kentucky Route 15 Spur near Campton and Kentucky Route 9009 from KY 15 Spur to the parkway's eastern terminus. Both designations are unsigned.^[1][2]

On January 15, 2014, Kentucky governor Steve Beshear announced plans to extend the parkway to US 23 in Prestonsburg, which would include widening the highway to four lanes for its entire length. The project, which would cost more than $750 million and requires approval by the Kentucky General Assembly, would run through 2020, and is expected to lead to the reinstatement of tolls on the highway.^[3]

Exit list

County	Location	mi[1]	km	Exit	Destinations	Notes
Clark	Winchester	0.000	0.000		I-64 west – Lexington, Winchester	Westbound only; western terminus; I-64 exit 98
	​			10	KY 974 – Mt. Sterling, Winchester	Opened to traffic October 25, 2014
Powell	Clay City	16.412	26.413	16	KY 15 south / KY 82 – Clay City, Irvine	Northern terminus of KY 82
		18.471	29.726	18	KY 1057 – Clay City
	Stanton	22.307	35.900	22	KY 213 – Stanton, Irvine
	Slade	32.802	52.790	33	KY 11 – Beattyville, Slade	To Natural Bridge State Resort Park
Wolfe	Pine Ridge	40.468	65.127	40	KY 15 / KY 715 – Beattyville, Pine Ridge, Rogers
	Campton	42.105	67.761	42	KY 1653 (Quillins Chapel Road)
		42.759	68.814	43	KY 15 Spur to KY 15 – Campton, Jackson, Hazard, Whitesburg	Eastbound exit, eastbound and westbound entrance; to Buckhorn Lake State Resort Park and Hal Rogers Parkway
		43.104	69.369	Eastern terminus of Mountain Parkway (KY 9000); western terminus of Mountain Parkway Extension (KY 9009)
	​	46.223	74.389	46	KY 191 – Campton	Westbound exit, eastbound entrance
	​	53.284	85.752	53	KY 1010 – Hazel Green
	​	57.188	92.035	57	KY 191 / KY 205 – Lee City, West Liberty
Morgan	​	60.402	97.208	60	KY 134	Westbound exit only
Magoffin	​	71.740	115.454	72	KY 30
	Salyersville	74.772	120.334	75	KY 7 – Salyersville
		75.627	121.710		US 460	At-grade intersection and eastern terminus of extension
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References

External links

Route map: Google

• Mountain Parkway exit list