PIKEVILLE, KY (WMDJ)— State and local officials including senior advisor to the governor, Rocky Adkins, and Kentucky Transportation Cabinet Secretary, Jim Gray, gathered Thursday to celebrate the completion of the new U.S. Route 460 corridor in Pike County — a 16.7-mile, four-lane roadway connecting U.S. 23 near Pikeville to the Virginia state line.
The final 5.2-mile section opens the morning of October 31st, completing a project that began more than three decades ago and marks one of the largest infrastructure investments in Eastern Kentucky history.
The new corridor replaces the old, narrow alignment with 12-foot-wide lanes, cutting travel time between Pikeville and Grundy, Virginia, by roughly 10 miles. Officials say the highway will improve safety and mobility while boosting access to schools, hospitals, and businesses across the region.
Planning for the corridor began in 1990, with the first section opening in 2014 and additional phases in 2020. The nearly $800 million project includes 22 new bridges and five interchanges, linking U.S. 23, KY 3226, Wolfpit Branch, KY 195, and KY 80 near Elkhorn City.
Among the highlights are the Pond Creek twin bridges, standing 324 feet tall — the highest in Kentucky — and the Russell Fork bridges, stretching 2,800 feet across rugged mountain terrain.
Mountain Enterprises Inc. led construction on the final section under a $40 million contract.
Above phone courtesy of the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet District 12
