Kentucky Route 92
Encyclopedia
Kentucky Route 92 is a 84.9 mile (136.63 km) long state highway
in southern Kentucky
. The route runs from Monticello
in Wayne County
to Pineville
in Bell County
. Another segment of KY 92 runs from a point at Joppa
to the end of the road at Lake Cumberland
near Jamestown
. The building of Wolf Creek Dam
and the subsequent creation of Lake Cumbeland divided the two portions of the road, as it did several other state highways in this portion of the state.
The project, begun in 2003, was completed by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet
with the aid of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
. The project was originally to replace the road all the way to U.S. Route 27
in McCreary County
, but the project was scaled back due to budget cuts.
. The communities of Siler, Packard
, Gausdale, Nevisdale and Gatliff all are along the route between the Bell County
line and Williamsburg
. All of these communities were originally mining and or timber camps. In the timber years logs were floated down the Cumberland River which runs along the route to Williamsburg
where they were picked up and sawed into lumber in mills. When the timber companies converted to coal production in the 1900s, railroads replaced the river in getting the product to market and as the truck began to invade the train's territory Route 92 took shape.
State highway
State highway, state road or state route can refer to one of three related concepts, two of them related to a state or provincial government in a country that is divided into states or provinces :#A...
in southern Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
. The route runs from Monticello
Monticello, Kentucky
Monticello is a city in Wayne County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 5,981 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Wayne County. It advertises itself as "The Houseboat Capital of the World" due to the large number of houseboat manufacturers in the city...
in Wayne County
Wayne County, Kentucky
Wayne County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of 2000, the population was 19,923. Its county seat is Monticello. The county was named for Gen. Anthony Wayne. It is a prohibition or dry county.-History:...
to Pineville
Pineville, Kentucky
Pineville is a city in Bell County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 2,093 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Bell County. It is located on a small strip of land between the Cumberland River and Pine Mountain.-History:...
in Bell County
Bell County, Kentucky
Bell County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It was formed August 1, 1867, from parts of Knox and Harlan Counties and augmented from Knox County in 1872. As of 2010 the population was 69,060. Its county seat is Pineville...
. Another segment of KY 92 runs from a point at Joppa
Joppa, Kentucky
Joppa is an unincorporated community in Adair County, Kentucky, United States. Its elevation is 837 feet ....
to the end of the road at Lake Cumberland
Lake Cumberland
Lake Cumberland is a reservoir in Clinton, Laurel, McCreary, Pulaski, Russell, and Wayne counties in Kentucky. The primary reasons for its construction were a means for flood control and the production of hydroelectric power. Its shoreline measures 1,255 miles and the lake is spread over at the...
near Jamestown
Jamestown, Kentucky
Jamestown is a city in, and the county seat of, Russell County, Kentucky . The area was first settled in 1826 and named Jacksonville in honor of General Andrew Jackson. By 1827 the settlement was incorporated and renamed Jamestown in honor of James Wooldridge, who had donated the land for the town...
. The building of Wolf Creek Dam
Wolf Creek Dam
The Wolf Creek Dam is a multi-purpose dam on the Cumberland River in the western part of Russell County, Kentucky, United States. The dam serves at once four distinct purposes: it generates hydroelectricity; it regulates and limits flooding; it releases stored water to permit year-round navigation...
and the subsequent creation of Lake Cumbeland divided the two portions of the road, as it did several other state highways in this portion of the state.
Relocation project
A particularly curvy section of Route 92 was replaced by a new road in November 2009 .. Milepoints 4 to 11 in western Whitley County were superseded by the new road, which is designated Route 92. Portions of the old road that remain in service have been re-designated Route 2792.The project, begun in 2003, was completed by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet
Kentucky Transportation Cabinet
The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet is Kentucky's state-funded agency charged with building and maintaining U.S...
with the aid of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, abbreviated ARRA and commonly referred to as the Stimulus or The Recovery Act, is an economic stimulus package enacted by the 111th United States Congress in February 2009 and signed into law on February 17, 2009, by President Barack Obama.To...
. The project was originally to replace the road all the way to U.S. Route 27
U.S. Route 27
U.S. Route 27 is a north–south United States highway in the southern and midwestern United States. The southern terminus is at US 1 in Miami, Florida. The northern terminus is at Interstate 69 in Fort Wayne, Indiana...
in McCreary County
McCreary County, Kentucky
McCreary County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of 2000, the population was 17,080. Its county seat is Whitley City. The county is named for James B. McCreary, a Confederate war hero and Governor of Kentucky from 1875 to 1879. It is the only Kentucky county to not have a...
, but the project was scaled back due to budget cuts.
History
Route 92 roughly follows an old railroad bed on its eastern approach to WilliamsburgWilliamsburg, Kentucky
As of the census of 2000, there were 5,143 people, 1,928 households, and 1,127 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,102.5 people per square mile . There were 2,118 housing units at an average density of 454.0 per square mile...
. The communities of Siler, Packard
Packard, Kentucky
Packard is a ghost town in Whitley County, Kentucky, United States. Packard was located southeast of Williamsburg. The community was a coal town which served the Packard Coal Company; the community and the company were named after Whitley County school teacher Amelia Packard...
, Gausdale, Nevisdale and Gatliff all are along the route between the Bell County
Bell County, Kentucky
Bell County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It was formed August 1, 1867, from parts of Knox and Harlan Counties and augmented from Knox County in 1872. As of 2010 the population was 69,060. Its county seat is Pineville...
line and Williamsburg
Williamsburg, Kentucky
As of the census of 2000, there were 5,143 people, 1,928 households, and 1,127 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,102.5 people per square mile . There were 2,118 housing units at an average density of 454.0 per square mile...
. All of these communities were originally mining and or timber camps. In the timber years logs were floated down the Cumberland River which runs along the route to Williamsburg
Williamsburg, Kentucky
As of the census of 2000, there were 5,143 people, 1,928 households, and 1,127 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,102.5 people per square mile . There were 2,118 housing units at an average density of 454.0 per square mile...
where they were picked up and sawed into lumber in mills. When the timber companies converted to coal production in the 1900s, railroads replaced the river in getting the product to market and as the truck began to invade the train's territory Route 92 took shape.