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Governor Steve Beshear's Communications Office
Governor Beshear directs quick action to widen roadway
KY 480 is home to large Zappos.com distribution center in Shepherdsville
SHEPHERDSVILLE, Ky.– Gov. Steve Beshear today announced he has directed the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet to proceed as quickly as possible to bid letting for a project to widen a section of KY 480 – heavily traveled Cedar Grove Road – in Shepherdsville.
“This will keep a commitment made years ago to the residents and business community of Shepherdsville and Bullitt County,” Gov. Beshear said at a news conference.
“Our highway system is the absolute backbone of our economy in Kentucky. That includes roadways such as KY 480, which connects with Interstate 65. It’s a top priority of my administration to ensure that our highway system is kept as modern, safe and well-maintained as possible,” Gov. Beshear said.
The project involves widening just less than one mile of KY 480. The project area extends, west to east, from the northbound entrance ramp to I-65 to the first entrance to Cedar Grove Elementary School, where the news conference was held.
Besides the school, KY 480 in the project area serves the large fulfillment center for Zappos.com, a distribution center for Gordon Food Service and a number of smaller businesses.
Under a memorandum of agreement with the Transportation Cabinet, the city of Shepherdsville managed the design, right-of-way acquisition and utility relocation phases. The cabinet will advertise the project and oversee construction. Funding for all four phases of the project is $5.7 million.
“This two lane highway is completely overloaded with traffic from approximately 20 local and international businesses, an elementary school, our community college
and two large subdivisions,” said Rep. Linda Belcher, of Shepherdsville. “I am grateful to Governor Beshear and Secretary Mike Hancock for recognizing our need to have Highway 480 widened for the safety of those who travel the road daily and the increased economic growth along the road.”
Gov. Beshear noted that the KY 480 widening will be the first new project in two years that the Transportation Cabinet has advanced to construction with exclusively state funding. The Governor said the cabinet would aim the project for a bid letting scheduled Nov. 19.
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