FRANKFORT, KY — Lieutenant Governor Jacqueline Coleman joined state transportation leaders, local officials, and community members in Harlan County to cut the ribbon on a new three-lane section of U.S. 421 that provides safer travel and improved connectivity between southeastern Kentucky and Virginia. The reconstruction is a $32 million investment in improved accessibility, safety, and opportunity for families and travelers in the region.
“This project has been decades in the making,” Governor Andy Beshear said. “We’re grateful to everyone who made [this] a reality and are excited to see this investment bring safer roads, faster travel times, and increased economic opportunities to this region.”
“Replacing a narrow, winding road with a safer, straighter route is about more than just better pavement; it’s emblematic of our shared work to build a better Kentucky for everyone,” Coleman said. “Thank you to the state and local leaders, contractors, and crews whose expertise brought this vital project to the finish line.”
Construction for the U.S. 421 project, led by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC), began in March 2025 and was completed ahead of schedule. The new roadway extends about 1.5 miles from the Kentucky/Virginia state line to the base of Virginia Mountain and provides a straighter, shorter route than the previous corridor. The roadway has three lanes, including a truck climbing lane, and other features designed to improve safety, enhance traffic flow, and increase capacity for motorists traveling through the region.
“These improvements reflect Team Kentucky’s priority of better, safer highways for the families who rely on them to get where they need to go,” KYTC Secretary Rebecca Goodman said. “We’re grateful for the support of the Harlan County community during construction and for our District 11 office and the design-build team who made it happen.”
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Of the $32 million in state funding allocated for all phases of the project, approximately $22 million was dedicated to construction, which the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet delivered using the design-build method to help advance the project more efficiently. The process encourages early and continued collaboration among the owner, designer, and contractor, which streamlined decision-making and allowed design, planning, and construction to move forward in a more cost-efficient manner than under traditional project delivery methods. Bizzack Construction LLC, served as the project contractor, with the design-build team led by HMB Professional Engineers Inc.
The completed U.S. 421 improvements are expected to provide a safer and more efficient route for motorists while improving mobility and transportation connectivity between Harlan County and the Kentucky-Virginia state line.
The KYTC Department of Highways District 11 office is headquartered in Manchester, Kentucky, where staff oversee state highway construction and maintenance for Bell, Clay, Harlan, Jackson, Knox, Laurel, Leslie, and Whitley counties.
