This time next year, the landscape along the area in Magoffin County known as "restaurant row" will begin to change. The Mountain Parkway, which runs through the Salyersville community, is expanding from two lanes to a four lane divided highway. Salyersville Mayor Pete Shepherd says most residents seem untroubled about potential traffic jams. "We're not worried about the traffic, we love the traffic,” Shepherd said. “We're just worried about getting off the four lane to get access to some of our businesses, once it's completed."
Project team members have participated in more than 200 meetings with business and property owners over the last year to address concerns. Traffic in the eastern Kentucky community of Salyersville is expected to double over the next decade from 12,000 vehicles a day, to 24,000. Mayor Shepherd says additional lodging options are still needed. "That's one of our big priorities in Salyersville is we don't have any kind of overnight staying,” he said. “We've got a couple of bed and breakfasts, but we really don't have anything like a Holiday Inn Express or anything like that in Salyersville."
Shepherd says about 90 percent of the businesses along 'restaurant row' survived the 2012 tornado. Work to expand the Mountain Parkway in Salyersville to a four lane divided highway is anticipated to begin next year. ?
