Kentucky Route 3294
Encyclopedia
Kentucky Route 3294 is a state maintained highway in Boyd County, Kentucky
. It was originally commissioned as a state rural route in 1987 under the term of governor Martha Layne Collins
, who led a statewide adoption of many higher traffic county roads and former state owned roads as state highway
s for maintenance purposes.
The original designation began at the intersection with U.S. 23 in Catlettsburg
, followed Cemetery Road out of town and then followed the Catlettsburg-Cannonsburg Pike (aka Cannonsburg Road) to U.S. 60 at Cannonsburg
, an unincorporated hamlet in western Boyd County.
The original 1987 route was approximately 6 miles long and was signed on the highway originally known as the Midland Trail
prior to the 1926 designation of U.S. Route 60
. Midland Trail became U.S. 60 throughout Virginia
, West Virginia
and Kentucky
in 1926, with the creation of the Federal Highway system. From 1926 until 1964, this stretch of road was signed as U.S. 60 Alt. as the main routing of U.S. 60 was multiplexed from Catlettsburg with U.S. 23 and followed it slightly north to go through downtown Catlettsburg and Ashland
before rejoining the Midland Trail at Cannonsburg. After 1964, the Alt. U.S. 60 designation was removed and the stretch of road was turned over to Boyd County for maintenance. It was maintained by the county until 1987.
In November 1990, Kentucky Route 3294 was extended 2 miles north of its original eastern terminus with U.S. 23/Louisa Road in Catlettsburg, to another junction with U.S. 23, north of downtown
. This was when the U.S. 23 Business designation was decommissioned and U.S. 60 was moved from the original 1926 routing through downtown Catlettsburg to multiplex with U.S. 23, not a far move as U.S. 23 was only one block west of the original route.
In 1970, when U.S. 23 was widened from two to four lanes from 34th Street in Catlettsburg to downtown Ashland, on a different routing which bypassed downtown Catlettsburg, Catlettsburg City officials immediately requested that KY.D.O.H. continue to maintain the stretch of old U.S. 23 and US 60
that followed surface streets through downtown Catlettsburg. The state respected those wishes and kept the U.S. 60 designation signed on that route through downtown following Oakland Avenue/Louisa and Center Streets just as it had been since 1926. Also, this alignment was also signed as U.S. 23 Business. In 1988, the city council agreed to allow KYDOH to move the U.S. 60 designation to the four lane U.S. 23 under the agreement that the original route would be maintained as a state highway. At that time KY 3294 was extended across U.S. 23 on 36th Street to follow the old U.S. 23/60 routing with its terminating junction being U.S. 23/60 on the north end of town.
KY Route 3294 is noted on U.S. 23 and U.S. 60 informational material as a replacement designation for the highway
s' original route through Catlettsburg and also as part of the original Midland Trail, which was created in the 19th century by the U.S. government prior to the Federal Highways Act.
Boyd County, Kentucky
Boyd County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It was formed in 1860. Its are found at the northeastern edge of the state the near the Ohio River and Big Sandy River, nestled in the verdant rolling hills of Appalachia. The county seat is Catlettsburg. Its largest municipality is...
. It was originally commissioned as a state rural route in 1987 under the term of governor Martha Layne Collins
Martha Layne Collins
Martha Layne Collins is a politician from the US state of Kentucky. From 1983 to 1987 she was the 56th Governor of Kentucky, having served the previous four years as lieutenant governor. She was Kentucky's first and only female governor to date...
, who led a statewide adoption of many higher traffic county roads and former state owned roads as state highway
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...
s for maintenance purposes.
The original designation began at the intersection with U.S. 23 in Catlettsburg
Catlettsburg, Kentucky
Catlettsburg is a city in Boyd County, Kentucky, United States and is the county seat of Boyd County. The city population was 1,960 at the 2000 census. The city's postal ZIP code serves a greater population of 10,029, which is a better reflection of the community's size. Catlettsburg is a part of...
, followed Cemetery Road out of town and then followed the Catlettsburg-Cannonsburg Pike (aka Cannonsburg Road) to U.S. 60 at Cannonsburg
Cannonsburg, Kentucky
Cannonsburg is an unincorporated community in Boyd County, Kentucky, United States. Cannonsburg is generally considered a part of nearby Ashland, although Cannonsburg is not within Ashland city limits. Most of Cannonsburg shares its mailing zipcode with Ashland; however, parts are within the...
, an unincorporated hamlet in western Boyd County.
The original 1987 route was approximately 6 miles long and was signed on the highway originally known as the Midland Trail
Midland Trail
For the trail's section in West Virginia see: The Midland Trail in West Virginia.The Midland Trail, also called the Roosevelt Midland Trail, was a national auto trail spanning the United States from Washington, D.C...
prior to the 1926 designation of U.S. Route 60
U.S. Route 60
U.S. Route 60 is an east–west United States highway, running from the Atlantic Ocean on the east coast in Virginia to western Arizona. Despite the final "0" in its number, indicating a transcontinental designation, the 1926 route formerly ended in Springfield, Missouri, at its intersection...
. Midland Trail became U.S. 60 throughout Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
and 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...
in 1926, with the creation of the Federal Highway system. From 1926 until 1964, this stretch of road was signed as U.S. 60 Alt. as the main routing of U.S. 60 was multiplexed from Catlettsburg with U.S. 23 and followed it slightly north to go through downtown Catlettsburg and Ashland
Ashland, Kentucky
Ashland, formerly known as Poage Settlement, is a city in Boyd County, Kentucky, United States, nestled along the banks of the Ohio River. The population was 21,981 at the 2000 census. Ashland is a part of the Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH, Metropolitan Statistical Area . As of the 2000 census, the...
before rejoining the Midland Trail at Cannonsburg. After 1964, the Alt. U.S. 60 designation was removed and the stretch of road was turned over to Boyd County for maintenance. It was maintained by the county until 1987.
In November 1990, Kentucky Route 3294 was extended 2 miles north of its original eastern terminus with U.S. 23/Louisa Road in Catlettsburg, to another junction with U.S. 23, north of downtown
Downtown
Downtown is a term primarily used in North America by English speakers to refer to a city's core or central business district ....
. This was when the U.S. 23 Business designation was decommissioned and U.S. 60 was moved from the original 1926 routing through downtown Catlettsburg to multiplex with U.S. 23, not a far move as U.S. 23 was only one block west of the original route.
In 1970, when U.S. 23 was widened from two to four lanes from 34th Street in Catlettsburg to downtown Ashland, on a different routing which bypassed downtown Catlettsburg, Catlettsburg City officials immediately requested that KY.D.O.H. continue to maintain the stretch of old U.S. 23 and US 60
U.S. Route 60
U.S. Route 60 is an east–west United States highway, running from the Atlantic Ocean on the east coast in Virginia to western Arizona. Despite the final "0" in its number, indicating a transcontinental designation, the 1926 route formerly ended in Springfield, Missouri, at its intersection...
that followed surface streets through downtown Catlettsburg. The state respected those wishes and kept the U.S. 60 designation signed on that route through downtown following Oakland Avenue/Louisa and Center Streets just as it had been since 1926. Also, this alignment was also signed as U.S. 23 Business. In 1988, the city council agreed to allow KYDOH to move the U.S. 60 designation to the four lane U.S. 23 under the agreement that the original route would be maintained as a state highway. At that time KY 3294 was extended across U.S. 23 on 36th Street to follow the old U.S. 23/60 routing with its terminating junction being U.S. 23/60 on the north end of town.
KY Route 3294 is noted on U.S. 23 and U.S. 60 informational material as a replacement designation for the highway
Highway
A highway is any public road. In American English, the term is common and almost always designates major roads. In British English, the term designates any road open to the public. Any interconnected set of highways can be variously referred to as a "highway system", a "highway network", or a...
s' original route through Catlettsburg and also as part of the original Midland Trail, which was created in the 19th century by the U.S. government prior to the Federal Highways Act.