Kentucky Route 15 begins at a junction of US 119/Corridor F & Business KY 15 in Whitesburg

Whitesburg, Kentucky

Whitesburg is a city in Letcher County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 2,139 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Letcher County.-Culture:...

, and terminates in Winchester

Winchester, Kentucky

Winchester is a city in and the county seat of Clark County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 16,724 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Lexington-Fayette, KY Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...

 at US 60

U.S. Route 60 in Kentucky

Upon entering Kentucky, U.S. 60 is concurrent with U.S. 51 and U.S. 62 from the Ohio River bridge to the town of Wickliffe. At Wickliffe, U.S. 60 separates from the other routes and heads generally northeast toward the city of Paducah. Between Wickliffe and Paducah, the towns of Barlow, La Center...

. It is a major route, connecting the coalfields of the Cumberland Plateau

Cumberland Plateau

The Cumberland Plateau is the southern part of the Appalachian Plateau. It includes much of eastern Kentucky and western West Virginia, part of Tennessee, and a small portion of northern Alabama and northwest Georgia . The terms "Allegheny Plateau" and the "Cumberland Plateau" both refer to the...

 with Lexington

Lexington, Kentucky

Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...

 and other cities in the Bluegrass region

Bluegrass region

The Bluegrass Region is a geographic region in the state of Kentucky, United States. It occupies the northern part of the state and since European settlement has contained a majority of the state's population and its largest cities....

. The segment from Whitesburg to KY 15 at Campton

Campton, Kentucky

As of the census of 200, there were 44 people, 16 households, and 17 families residing in the city. The population density was 33.4 people per square mile . There were 29 housing units at an average density of 212.5 per square mile . The racial makeup of the city was 99.76% White, and 0.24% from...

, which in turn connects to the Bert T. Combs Mountain Parkway

Bert T. Combs Mountain Parkway

The Bert T. Combs Mountain Parkway, commonly known as the Mountain Parkway, is a freeway in eastern Kentucky. The route runs fromInterstate 64 just east of Winchester southeast for 75.627 miles to a junction with U.S. Route 460 near Salyersville...

 near the town, is also the primary part of Corridor I of the Appalachian Development Highway System

Appalachian Development Highway System

The Appalachian Development Highway System is part of the Appalachian Regional Commission in the United States. See: .-History:...

.

Future

Currently, KY 15 is being relocated onto a new four-lane divided alignment in phases. Construction on section 17 of the relocation project is from KY 205 at Vancleve to Fivemile; construction began on January 6, 2005 at a cost of $36.4 million and is 100% complete. Work is also progressing on section 16 from Fivemile to Wolverine; construction began on November 2, 2006 with a projected cost of $4.7 million and is approximately 95% complete. There are additional plans to reconstruct the segment from Jackson

Jackson, Kentucky

There were 1,005 households out of which 28.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.4% were married couples living together, 18.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.2% were non-families. 31.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.3% had...

 south to Hazard

Hazard, Kentucky

As of the census of 2000, there were 4,806 people, 1,946 households, and 1,266 families residing in the city. The population density was 684.6 people per square mile . There were 2,291 housing units at an average density of 326.4 per square mile...

on new alignment beginning in 2008.

The current construction is progressing from Vancleve to Jackson. Local reports suggest that the roadway will be opening for traffic flow by the end of 2011. Construction of the section between Jackson and Haddix, KY has not started. The current budget crisis and lowered revenues for state and federal construction projects may delay groundbreaking on that section for years. (Updated August 2011)