FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet has been awarded a $55.15 million federal grant to widen 11 miles of the Mountain Parkway, officials said.

The U.S. Department of Transportation grant will be used to create a four-lane corridor for drivers between Interstate 64 and Salyersville, Gov. Andy Beshear’s office said in a news release.

Beshear and U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky said the expansion is expected to help move freight and goods through the area and reduce travel time.

Kentucky Transportation Secretary Jim Gray said the expansion “will bring the Mountain Parkway Expansion one step closer to closing the only gap in a 400-mile, four-lane, high-speed corridor” across the state.