State senator Carroll secures funding for Paducah/McCracken County projects

State Senator Danny Carroll of Benton has helped secure millions in critical funding to support local projects in McCracken County and Paducah.

As a result of transformational one-time investments in House Bill (HB) 1, McCracken County will benefit from the following over the next biennium:

$4 million to the City of Paducah to support a federally funded BUILD Grant project,

$3.5 million to the Paducah-McCracken Riverport Authority to support the Riverport West project, 

$1 million to the Lincoln High School Historical Foundation for the Lincoln Civic Center project, and

$400,000 to the National Quilt Museum in Paducah to support a roof replacement project.
 
Included in the state's two-year road plan, House Bill 266, Carroll helped secure over $61.93 million total for planning, designing, obtaining rights-of-way, utility work, and construction of various projects in the county, including $16 million for a new access road from KY Highway 305 near KY Highway 998, extending west to the Ohio River Megapark. 

Also included in HB 266 was $5.5 million to address residents' concerns at the intersection of Lone Oak Road (KY 731) and Broadway Street, near the former Coca-Cola Bottling Plant. 

According to a past Small Urban Area Transportation study, it is a busy junction between residential and commercial zones that experiences high traffic volume, with daily vehicle counts ranging from 3,800 to 13,800. 

In the three years before the study, there had been 33 crashes reported at the intersection. 

Additionally, residents have raised concerns about inadequate drainage, often leading to water pooling on the road.

A comprehensive redesign of this intersection is proposed, including considering a roundabout to improve traffic flow and safety. 

The plan also involves enhancing drainage systems to address the runoff issues, particularly along North 32nd Street, which affects the intersection.