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Bizzack Construction Co. has been selected as the design-build contractor to deliver the final section of the long-awaited expansion and extension of the Mountain Parkway, it was announced on Tuesday.

“Today marks another major step forward in delivering on a long-anticipated promise to Eastern Kentuckians: to complete the Mountain Parkway expansion,” said Gov. Andy Beshear during a press conference in Prestonsburg.  “We know completing this road will build more connections to communities and businesses within the region, providing more opportunities than ever before.  We are especially excited to announce that Bizzack Construction, a Kentucky-based company that knows Eastern Kentucky well, will be leading the completion efforts.”

As lead contractor, Bizzack Construction will manage the completion of the final project segment, known as Magoffin-Floyd.  The segment is planned as a 13-mile stretch of newly constructed four-lane highway from U.S. Highway 460 in Salyersville to Kentucky Highway 404 in Prestonsburg.  Once complete, this means Kentucky will have 400 continuous miles of four-lane, high-speed highway connecting Pikeville to Paducah, creating increased commerce and mobility across the state.

Bizzack Construction has more than 60 years of experience working on important transportation projects in the mountains of Eastern Kentucky, including as a partner on other Mountain Parkway expansion segments.  Chief among them is the 11-mile Wolfe County segment, which broke ground in 2022, with Bizzack serving as the lead contractor.

Other firms on the design-build team include Palmer Engineering, Haydon Bridge, Bush & Burchett, S&ME Inc., J. Davis Law Firm and Civil Design LLC.

“Selection of the lead contractor is a milestone in any major transportation infrastructure project,” Kentucky Transportation Secretary Jim Gray said. “This milestone is especially meaningful because of the destruction suffered by Eastern Kentucky in last year’s flood disaster. This dovetails perfectly with the hard work of this administration to help Eastern Kentucky recover and rebuild.”

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) issued a final Request for Proposals from prospective designer and contractor teams in June 2023 and received three proposals in return.

Since the Mountain Parkway Expansion began in 2014, nearly 33 miles of parkway widening from Campton to Salyersville has been completed or are under construction.

The Wolfe County segment is scheduled for completion in 2027, and there is no timetable for completion of the Magoffin-Floyd segment.