Team Kentucky Joins Local Leaders at Ribbon Cutting for New U.S. 460 Corridor in Pike County
Corridor opens to traffic Friday, Oct. 31
PIKEVILLE, Ky. (Oct. 30, 2025) – Today, Rocky Adkins, senior advisor to Gov. Andy Beshear, Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) Secretary Jim Gray, and local leaders celebrated the completion of the new U.S. Route 460 corridor in Pike County – a transformative 16.7-mile roadway connecting U.S. Route 23 near Pikeville to the Virginia state line. Opening Friday, the final 5.2 miles of upgraded roadway puts the finishing touches on a project that has been decades in the making and ranks as one of the most significant infrastructure investments in Eastern Kentucky history.
The new corridor – which will replace the narrow, curvy lanes that came before it with 12-foot-wide driving lanes – improves safety and mobility for residents, businesses and visitors commuting in the region, shortening the previous U.S. 460 alignment and reducing the drive between Pikeville and Grundy, Virginia, from 43 miles to 33 miles, while enhancing connections to Southwest Virginia.
“For more than three decades, leaders and community members have envisioned a modern highway that opens new doors for commerce, travel and opportunity in Eastern Kentucky,” said Gov. Beshear. “The day has finally come for that vision to become reality as we introduce a completed four-lane highway to help Kentuckians get to the places that matter most, like school, recreation and medical services, faster and more safely.”
“Today is the culmination of decades of work by so many Kentuckians,” said Adkins. “This completed highway will allow more visitors and more businesses to come to Eastern Kentucky, proving there are bright days ahead for this deserving region I’m proud to call home. We are building our future and today is a great day for Eastern Kentucky and our entire commonwealth.”
U.S. 460, part of the Appalachian Development Highway System, has historically served as one of the main routes through Eastern Kentucky. Planning for corridor reconstruction began in 1990, with preliminary design completed in 1995. Construction on the first segment began in May 2002. The first eight miles of the project opened in December 2014, followed by 3.5 more miles in November 2020.
The nearly $800 million project – which includes state and federal investments for design, right of way, utilities, and construction since 1990 – features 22 new bridges and five interchanges connecting U.S. 23, KY Route 3226, Wolfpit Branch, KY Route 195, and KY Route 80 at Elkhorn City. Among its keystone features are the Pond Creek twin bridges, completed last summer, that stand 324 feet high and are the tallest bridges in Kentucky. The Russell Fork bridges, completed this summer, are 2,800 feet long and required precision engineering and complex beam placement over rugged, mountainous terrain.
Following the ribbon cutting, a community convoy, including a Kentucky State Police cruiser, Pike County Schools bus and Elkhorn City Fire and Rescue vehicle, ceremonially drove across one of the Pond Creek bridges.
“This corridor not only represents the promise of Eastern Kentucky’s growth and vitality in the future, but it improves the quality of life today for residents through better transportation,” said Secretary Gray.
Friday morning, Oct. 31, once all barricades are safely removed, the new section of U.S. 460 will open to public traffic.
KYTC crews recently installed eight honorary road and bridge naming signs along the corridor as part of previous official designations. The following new signs were installed: Andy and Mary Carter Memorial Bridge; Eldon and Jollene Mullins Memorial Bridge; Harrell Caudill Memorial Bridge; Staff Sgt. Donta Price Memorial Bridge – U.S. Army Gulf War; Terry Taylor Memorial Bridge; Philip Epling Memorial Bridge; Officer Scotty Hamilton Memorial Bridge; and Korean War Veteran Sgt. Thomas Epling Memorial Pike County Industry and Technology Corridor.
Mountain Enterprises Inc. was awarded a $40.1 million contract to complete the final section. The work involved completing the roadbed from Marrowbone Bridge over KY Route 195 to Russell Fork Bridge near Beaver, which will also include future resurfacing.
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