An Engineering
Marvel
The Pikeville Cut-Through: moving mountains to move a city forward.
Carving a city from a mountain might sound like legend, but in Pikeville, Kentucky, it’s a fact of history. The Pikeville Cut-Through Project stands as one of the largest earthmoving projects in North America—and a symbol of what vision, engineering, and persistence can accomplish.
Launched in November 1973 and completed in 1987, the Cut-Through Project involved moving over 18 million cubic yards of rock and earth to reroute the Levisa Fork of the Big Sandy River, railroad lines, and major highways through Peach Orchard Mountain. At a cost of $80 million, it remains one of the most ambitious and successful civil engineering efforts in the nation.
The project unfolded in four major phases. During Phase I, 13 million cubic yards of rock were blasted through the mountain to create a channel nearly 3,700 feet long, 1,300 feet wide, and over 500 feet deep. This enormous cut became the new path for U.S. Highways 23, 460, 119, and KY 80, as well as the Levisa Fork and several railway lines. The goal: eliminate the floods and traffic bottlenecks that had long plagued Pikeville’s downtown.
Phase II, beginning in March 1980, saw the relocation of the river itself. On September 17, 1980, the Levisa Fork was redirected to flow through the newly completed channel, while five million cubic yards of fill dirt were used to reclaim the old riverbed through the heart of downtown. Rail lines and coal infrastructure were also relocated during this stage.
For addtional content on the Pikeville Cut-Through Project, visit the Pike County, KY Historical Society's website.
Phases III and IV, launched in 1983, focused on highway interchanges and the creation of Hambley Boulevard—built along the former railroad bed. These final steps completed the physical transformation of Pikeville, resulting in the creation of nearly 400 acres of flat, developable land.
The Cut-Through Project wasn’t just a triumph of excavation—it was a triumph of cooperation. More than 20 federal, state, and local agencies worked together over 14 years to make it happen. The New York Times famously dubbed it “the eighth wonder of the world,” and for good reason: few towns have ever been so dramatically reshaped by human hands.
Today, Pikeville thrives as a regional hub for healthcare, education, and business. The University of Pikeville, the Pikeville Medical Center, and new shopping districts all stand on land that once sat beneath a river. Thanks to the engineering marvel beneath their feet, future generations in Pikeville will continue to build upward—because the mountain has already been moved.
