FRANKFORT, Ky. (WMDJ) – Gov. Andy Beshear announced Wednesday that the state will put the final section of the Mountain Parkway expansion project on the fast track, thanks to a $116.3 million federal grant.

The grant will help to complete the nearly $300 million construction project for the final piece of the parkway, a nearly 13-mile stretch of new construction known as the “Magoffin-Floyd” segment, which is currently under development. The segment will extend the parkway from Salyersville to Prestonsburg.

Currently, the Magoffin County “central” 5.7-mile segment is set to open before the end of 2024. An 11-mile stretch in Wolfe County is set to be completed by 2027.

Once the project is finished, Kentucky will have 400 continuous miles of four-lane, high-speed highway connecting Pikeville to Paducah.