‘I’ve been waiting for 20 years to see this project go forward’: Clark County Updates Citizens on ‘Veterans Memorial Parkway Extension’ project

Officials say the project is still a couple years away from construction.

Winchester, KY (WTVQ) – Officials in Clark County updated citizens about the ‘Veterans Memorial Parkway Extension’ project during a public hearing Thursday night in Winchester. The project is a four-lane bypass around the Western, Southern, and Eastern sides of Winchester.

Joshua Samples, the District 7 Design Supervisor, says the biggest goal is to get truck drivers out of downtown, and provide folks with more options for transportation.

“This is some of a lot of people’s first time looking at the plans. They’re just getting opinion about it now,” Samples said.

A.B. Ecton, who lives on highway 89, says he’s looking forward to the project being complete.  “I’ve been waiting for 20 years to see this project go forward,” he said.

The proposed project would connect Boonesboro Road to where the current Veterans Memorial Parkway ends near Irvine Road. The goal is to improve East-West connectivity, from the center of Winchester into the southern half of Clark County.

“Hopefully it would help bring some businesses to our end of town. Winchester has everything on the west. We need things on the east,” Ecton said.

The bypass will create a direct connection to the existing Eastern and Western Winchester bypass routes, including two 12-foot lanes, a grass median, and paved outside shoulders.

Stephen Berry, president of Walk Bike, Clark County. hopes there’s a lane for pedestrians and bicycles.  “We have a large population of people who can’t afford vehicles. Actually, walking or bicycling is their only form of transportation,” Berry said.

A rural design will be used for the majority of the project, while an urban design will be used for a new T-intersection along Boonesboro road. Samples says they’re still a couple years from construction.