By Jeremy D. Wells
Carter County Times
If a proposed road budget is approved and signed into law, Carter County could see more than $29 million in total improvements on state maintained roads throughout the county over the next three years; with $66,000 budgeted for project this year, $7,872,000 in fiscal year 2023, and $21,172,840 budgeted for 2024.
Projects would start in the current fiscal year with guardrail installation along US 60 throughout the county, at a cost of $66,000.
Next fiscal year, in FY 2023, guardrail replacements on KY 1947 would begin, at a cost of $28,000, followed by a total of $4 million for work on US 60. This investment would include reconstruction of US 60 from just west of Glenwood Hollow Road to east of KY 3296, with 12 foot lanes, wider paved shoulders, and unobstructed clear zones making up a portion of the cost, and flattening of the vertical grade and creation of more gentle horizontal curves making up the rest.
Another $293,000 would be earmarked for a bridge project on KY 1 at the Little Fork of the Little Sandy River in 2023, with the remainder – $2,930,000 – scheduled for FY 2024, for a total of $3,223,000.
It wouldn’t just be state routes getting all the funding under the plan. It also includes $1,111,000 for a bridge project on Gollihue Road, CR 1197, at Little Fork Creek.
Over toward Olive Hill, an investment of $1,440,000 would seek to “improve US-60 geometry” from mile point 12.4 and extending just over a mile to the I-64 exit at exit 161.
Another $1,00,000 would go toward the construction of a two lane roadway from KY 3297 to the intersection of US 60 and KY 1, “to mitigate congestion along Carol Malone Boulevard.”
This project would take place in two phases as well, with an additional $1,501,000 invested in FY 2024 for a total project cost of $2,501,000 for Phase III of the “proposed bypass project.”
Other projects earmarked for the final year of the budget include nearly $2 million ($1,930,000) to improve safety on Route 1 at the East Carter High School entrance, and almost $10 million ($9,996,052) to address conditions along I-64 between mile point 154.26 and mile point 166.217, with another $4,165,788 for addressing the stretch from mile point 166.217 to the 171.2 mile point.
KY 1025, near Olive Hill, could see a half million dollar investment from US 60 to just over a quarter mile north of the West Carter Middle and High School campuses. That project would include bicycle and pedestrian paths.
KY 3297, near East Carter Middle School and the Grayson Sports Park complex would also see an investment of $150,000 to “improve safety and operational efficiency of KY 3297” in that area.
The 2022-2024 Biennial Highway Construction Plan has not yet been approved, but funding for these and other projects across the state are provided for in the Transportation Cabinet Budget Bill, which would take effect upon passage and approval by the governor. The act would declare an emergency to expedite funding.
Contact the writer at editor@cartercountytimes.com
