Published: August 07, 2008 06:49 am      

Pulaski road projects to go under review

Local News

Gov. Steve Beshear’s “practical solutions” initiative announced earlier this week will put all of Pulaski County’s road projects under review and examination but apparently will not drastically change major highways under construction.

Neal Shoemaker, chief district engineer for the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet’s District 8, assured the Commonwealth Journal that the $157 million worth of roads currently being built in Pulaski County will be completed without major changes in design. In other words, despite an indication in the governor’s initiative that many highways designed as four lanes could end up with two-lanes, four-lane highways under construction in Pulaski County will be completed as four-lane roads, Shoemaker said.

This includes the final section of four-lane U.S. 27 from Ky. 452 (Bull Road) north to Ky. 70 at Eubank; the final two contract sections of the southwestern bypass from Oak Hill Road to Cumberland Parkway; four-lane Ky. 1247 from Ky. 914 (southeastern bypass) to Bend of the Lakes Road near Burnside; the partial cloverleaf intersection of Ky. 1247, U.S. 27 and Ky. 90 in northern Burnside; and 3.7 miles of Somerset’s northern bypass (I-66) from Cumberland Parkway to an interchange with new four-lane U.S. 27 south of Science Hill.

Likely to be delayed are roads still in the early stages of design and for which no contracts have been awarded, particularly those funded with state money.

“Any state-funded projects will be pushed back to allow us time to review and make sure we’re making the right decisions,” said Shoemaker.

The district engineer nodded in the affirmative when a reporter suggested that projects such as extending four-lane U.S. 27 through the Burnside business district to the entrance of General Burnside Island State Park might be put on the back burner.

Also, Shoemaker said saving federal dollars is just as important as saving state money. This indicates that the last part of Somerset’s northern bypass (I-66) from U.S. 27 across Ky. 39 to Ky. 80 west of Ky. 461 is also a candidate for delay. The same probably holds true for developing the already selected I-66 corridor from Barnesburg at Ky. 80 through Shopville, Stab and Squib and across western Laurel County to I-75 south of London.

Shoemaker reiterated that roads under contract and construction will be reviewed and examined. He did not rule out elimination of “frills” along these four-lane roads under construction.

Such things as “ ... do we need a bridge there? Is there a better way to get there?” Shoemaker suggested. Changes in contracts would be negotiated with the contractor. “We might have to pay the contractor some money ... but it would be feasible if overall we saved money,” he reasoned.

Mentioning the need for bridges raised a question about the 85-foot-tall span over Pitman Creek on the Ky. 1247 project.

“That’s too far along ... I don’t think that will be changed,” said Shoemaker.

Most of the roads currently under construction in Pulaski County were designed and let to contract under the administration of former Gov. Ernie Fletcher. Beshear, quoted in a news release, said Secretary Joe Prather and his staff have submitted a sensible plan that emphasizes value and long-term vision to ensure we build safe, quality roads that meet the needs of our commonwealth.”

Both Shoemaker and Stephanie Daffron, public information officer for District 8, said the state has more road projects than money.

“For some time now, we have built roads like money is no object,” said Shoemaker. “We simply have to come up with a smarter way to spend our money.”

Pulaski County currently has 23.3 miles of active road projects. District Construction Engineer Bill Chaney said these projects will require an estimated 828,375 tons of asphalt; 7.3 million cubic yards of roadway excavation/embankment; construction of 33 bridges and culverts; 23,715 cubic yards of concrete; and 3.8 million pounds of steel reinforcement.

Pulaski County is believed to have more roadwork under way than any rural county in Kentucky, according to Rodney Little, District 8’s TEBM for construction.

The Transportation Cabinet said that faced with rapidly escalating construction costs and stagnant revenues, Beshear has directed the cabinet and its engineers to find a way to meet the state’s transportation needs in challenging economic times. The result is Practical Solutions, a forward-looking approach to ensure highway projects remain within an appropriate scope while freeing funds for other projects, according to a news release from the governor’s office.

For example, the cabinet said with $500 million the state could build 23 miles of a divided four-lane highway with 12-foot lanes and 8-foot shoulders.

For the same amount, the state could build 69.4 miles of a two-lane highway with identical lanes and shoulder widths. The cost per mile is reduced from $21.5 million for the four-lane to $7.2 million for the two-lane highway.

Prather and Shoemaker said safety and quality will not be sacrificed. “We will not cut corners,” Shoemaker declared.

“Practical Solutions will allow us to do more to improve the overall condition of Kentucky’s aging 27,000-mile highway network, meaning safer roads for the traveling public,” Prather said.