By Jeremy D. Wells
Carter County Times
If you’re tired of the uneven pavement on Carol Malone unexpectedly pulling your car toward the driver in the neighboring lane, you won’t have to worry about it much longer. The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet announced that final paving work will begin this week and finish up by Friday, weather permitting.
“Beginning Monday, April 10, weather permitting, contractors will apply the final blacktop surface to all lanes of Carol Malone Boulevard, between Academic Parkway near I-64 and the Little Sandy River Bridge,” a release from KTC District 9 spokesperson Allen Blair read.
Blair said the final paving project would require lane closures in both directions, as well as daily changes to traffic flow.
“At times turn lanes will be blocked and traffic may have to divert briefly,” he said.
Work will begin at around 7 a.m. each morning, and proceed through 7 p.m. each evening until paving is complete. Commuters should expect delays, particularly during the morning and evening rush hour periods.
Blair advised drivers to “Take it slow, and heed all warning signs and flaggers.”
The Transportation Cabinet noted that the bulk of the work on the six million dollar improvement project was completed last fall, at which time the highway was temporarily striped into its final five lane configuration. This layout includes two driving lanes in each direction, center turn lanes, and additional turn lanes at the US 60/Main Street intersection.
Additional concrete work and surface paving scheduled to take place this spring should be ongoing now.
The project, KTC said, “was designed to reduce congestion along the highway by widening travel lanes, (and) creating dedicated turn lanes, as well as adding new sidewalk, curbing, and other enhancements to improve traffic flow and safety.”
KTC estimates that as many as 17,000 vehicles per day travel the route through downtown Grayson.
Contact the writer at editor@cartercountytimes.com