FRANKFORT, KY (April 22, 2024)—Senate Majority Floor Leader Damon Thayer, R-Georgetown, played a considerable role in securing millions of dollars over the next two years for critical highway and interstate repairs in Fayette County and transformational support for one-time local projects. Thayer represents the northwestern portion of the county as a part of the 17th Senate District.

Included in the state’s two-year road plan, House Bill (HB) 266, Thayer helped secure over $115.8 million for planning, designing, obtaining rights-of-way, utility work and construction of various projects in the county, including two major projects connecting to his Senate district:

• $21.75 million for reconstruction and widening of US Highway 25 from Kearney Road to Ironworks Road, 
• $3.06 million for reconstruction and widening of US Highway 25 from Spurr Road to Kearney Road.

In working closely with other members of the Fayette County delegation—including Sens. Amanda Mays Bledsoe; who is a former member of the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government, Dr. Donald Douglas, Steve West, Greg Elkins and Jared Carpenter—Thayer also helped secure tens of millions of dollars for many important projects. One of the priorities is numerous improvements to reduce congestion and improve safety on New Circle Road ($18.16 million total), reduce congestion on Interstate 64 and Interstate 75 from Paris Pike to the southern split from mile points 111 to 112.9 ($10 million) and to reduce congestion from the northern split to Newtown Pike mile points 115.200 to 117.665 (over $5 million), and replace the RJ Corman Railroad bridge overpass at mile point 8.378 on US Highway 27 ($8.12 million).

HJR 91 includes scheduled projects and anticipated needs for the remaining four years of the six-year highway construction plan. Find HJR 91 HERE. Fayette County-specific projects can be found on pages 63-69.

“Since I represent a portion of Fayette County, I was able to provide input on the entire county road plan,” Thayer said. “My priority project was US Highway 25 between Georgetown and Lexington because so many of my constituents in Scott County rely on this economic artery. This project is made possible with general fund dollars the Senate championed for the road plan. The incredible growth of our region demands an infrastructure that can support the ever-increasing flow of commerce and traffic. I was happy to work with my fellow Fayette County delegates to get some incredible things done for the county, but that will benefit the entire region and state.”

As a provision in HB 1, Thayer and the Senate successfully leveraged $450 million from Kentucky’s $3.7 billion budget reserve trust fund to boost the state’s road, bridge and highway repair efforts in the state road plan. The funding aims to help meet infrastructure needs in high-growth areas such as Lexington and Georgetown.

Additional provisions of HB 1 benefitting Fayette County include

• $36 million for the Kentucky Horse Park for various improvements. An additional $3 million was authorized in HB 6, the biennial budget, for the park’s maintenance pool. 
• $10 million to support Lexington’s Transformational Housing Affordability Partnership, and
• $5 million for Bluegrass Airport.

A $22 million allocation in HB 1 will also support the Kentucky Cattleman’s Association in constructing the Livestock Innovation Center at the University of Kentucky (UK) C. Oran Little Research Farm, which is located in Woodford County.

Senate Bill 91, which included fixes and additions to various budget-related bills, allocated $10 million to the UK Markey Cancer Center for cancer research.

The 2024 Legislative Session concluded on Monday, April 15.