For Immediate Release
September 13, 2005
Department of Transportation
Joe Cox- I-66 Project Manager
1-606-677-4017
The I-66
project is currently awaiting the completion of the Draft Environmental Impact
Statement (DEIS) according to Joe Cox, Project Manager with the Department of
Transportation in Somerset. Cox said, “no options, including
the “No-Build” option can be pursued until this report is approved. After
submittal of the report to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) for their
review and approval, public meetings will be held to give opportunity for
comment on the document. Those comments will be included in the information
used to make recommendations for a Preferred Alternative. This summary of all comments
along with a recommendation for a Preferred Alternative will then be added to
the Draft EIS and submitted to FHWA for an approval of the Final EIS. A Record
of Decision could be issued as early as the summer of 2006.
The 1991 Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA)
provided funding for an “I-66 Feasibility Study”, also referred to as the
Transamerica Transportation Corridor (TTC). In 1994, this study was completed
and did conclude there was not “…a pressing need for coast-to-coast TTC at this
point in time.” However the study also concluded that individual segments
providing “linkage to the National Highway System and/or key elements of a
state’s transportation system” may be economically feasible. The May, 1997
report “Southern Kentucky Corridor (I-66): Economic Justification and Financial
Feasibility” did find the project to be economically justified in
A number of economic benefits have been identified as a result of the possible construction of I-66. They include:
•Improved safety. Historical statistics prove many of the state’s accidents occur
on our older rural roads.
• Enhanced mobility which leads to economic competitiveness. Businesses
looking to locate in
• A reduction in driving time to employment, healthcare/hospitals, tourist destinations and shopping which in turn stimulates local economies.
• A reduction in congestion and improved delivery times of products and services.
• A stimulation of jobs. Historical experience proves a large number of jobs are created within a location of 10 miles of a new highway like I-66.
• A U.S. DOT study finds that for every dollar invested in interstate highways yields $5.70 in economic benefits (reduced delays, improved safety, and reduced vehicle operation costs).
According to Cox, “the study of the feasibility of I-66 has been one of the most exhaustive in our state’s history. Our studies have examined; air quality, karst issues, groundwater tracing, the impact on Kentucky Wild Rivers, Native American consultation, historic structure impact, noise, visual/aesthetics, you name it.”