AN ACT relating to road projects and declaring an emergency.

2026 Regular Session Introduced by Pamela Stevenson

HB 533 formalizes Kentucky’s 2026-2028 Biennial Highway Construction Plan and links funding to the Transportation Cabinet Budget Bill, with an emergency that makes it effective imm

to Appropriations & Revenue (H)

#budgetandfinancialadministration #effectivedates #emergency #highways #streets #andbridges #stateagencies #transportation

Summary of HB 533 (2026RS) – Kentucky Biennial Highway Construction Plan and Emergency Declaration

Purpose and overall intent

HB 533 designates the General Assembly-approved set of road projects as the official 2026-2028 Biennial Highway Construction Plan.
It explicitly ties the plan to funding provided by the Transportation Cabinet Budget Bill and declares an emergency to ensure the Act takes effect immediately upon passage and governor’s approval or becoming law.

Key provisions and changes

Section 1: Establishes the list of authorized projects as the official 2026-2028 Biennial Highway Construction Plan.
Section 2: States that funding for the listed projects comes from the Transportation Cabinet Budget Bill; declares an emergency to make HB 533 effective upon enactment.
Section 3: Provides the detailed 2026-2028 plan, organized by county, route, project description, phase, and funding category. The plan enumerates numerous projects with various phases (planning, right-of-way, utility, and construction) and a broad mix of funding designations (SPP, NH, UT, RW, DN, CN, STP, STPF, BRX, FBP2, HGC, etc.). Examples include:
Adair: guardrail upgrades on KY-1702; Louie B. Nunn Cumberland Parkway corridor improvements; safety and access improvements along KY-55.
Ballard, Boone, Bullitt, Fayette, Campbell, Daviess, Christian, Clark, and many other counties show extensive road widening, realignment, bridge projects, interchange modifications, roundabouts, planning studies, guardrail installations, and freight/multi-modal enhancements.
Projects commonly involve safety enhancements (curve realignments, improved sightlines, guardrails), capacity and congestion relief (widenings, additional lanes, roundabouts, interchange reconstructions), bridge repairs/replacements, and corridor/urban mobility improvements.
A number of projects are tied to economic development, freight mobility, and multi-modal connections (bike/pedestrian paths, multi-use corridors, access management).
Section 3 also includes large-dollar investments on major corridors (interstate connections, US and state routes, and city/urban bypass projects) across many Kentucky counties.

Who would be affected

Local governments and residents within the project areas would experience construction activity, detours, and potential traffic pattern changes during project execution.
Businesses and economic development initiatives could benefit from improved highway safety, capacity, and access.
The Transportation Cabinet and related state agencies would oversee design, right-of-way acquisition, utilities, and construction funding and scheduling for the listed projects.

Procedural and timeline aspects

The plan is explicitly linked to funding from the Transportation Cabinet Budget Bill and takes effect immediately upon the governor’s approval or upon becoming law, due to the declared emergency.
The document enumerates projects across three fiscal years (FY2026-FY2028) in a biennial framework, with detailed phasing (DN, RW, UT, SPP, NH, CN, BRX, etc.) indicating sequencing responsibilities.

Overall, HB 533 formalizes Kentucky’s 2026-2028 highway construction agenda, enabling rapid implementation through an emergency designation and aligning project funding with the Transportation Cabinet Budget Bill.