A contractor for the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet is gradually starting up work to widen a portion of U.S. 45 to four lanes in Graves County to remedy a chronic bottleneck for traffic at the north edge of Mayfield.
The project area is a half-mile section of U.S. 45/Paducah Road from Oak Grove Creek at mile point 18.368 to the Julian M. Carroll Purchase Parkway near the 19-mile marker. When completed, U.S. 45 will be four lanes from downtown Mayfield to the parkway.
According to KYTC Spokesperson Keith Todd, the contractor has started construction of retaining walls that are a part of the project. However, the contractor is waiting for utilities to be moved out of the work zone before additional construction activities can start.
The project will ease a traffic bottleneck created when motorists on the four-lane section of U.S. 45/Paducah Road are forced to funnel down into two lanes between KY 121 and the Purchase Parkway at Mayfield.
The $4.5 million highway improvement project was awarded to Jim Smith Contracting Company, LLC, of Grand Rivers on July 25. The project is scheduled to be completed in 200 working days.
Motorists should be alert for lane restrictions and traffic shifts as construction continues to ramp up. The contractor and KYTC will attempt to provide timely traffic advisories as the construction progresses.