Improvements to a small stretch of Kentucky's Mountain Parkway could pave the way for significant safety, health, and economic benefits. The federal government is allocating 24 million dollars to widen just over two miles of roadway through the community of Salyersville. U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says it's more than just about moving traffic through a rural town. "And that impacts everything from that EMT provider who's got the ambulance going to the local hospital with someone who's had a heart attack to the pregnant mom who is anxious to deliver her child, but needs to get it to the hospital quickly," said Vilsack.
Vilsack says the project will also benefit local businesses trying to get product from point A to point B as quick as possible. The Ag secretary admits benefits won't be seen in the short term. "Now that the funding has been secured, it will be necessary to get the engineering plans and so forth prepared. So, it may take a while for the money to actually result in the work that's gonna be completed, but now folks can be assured that there is a commitment to getting it done and that's obviously gonna make a big difference in terms of the surrounding area and decisions that businesses are making in the surrounding areas," explained Vilsack.
Vilsack says funding for Kentucky's Mountain Parkway improvement was one of 117 such projects announced last week. ?
