With the 2020 and 2021 road plans well underway, Christian County Fiscal Court used Tuesday’s meeting to unanimously approve the 2022-23 paving calendar from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet.
KYTC Section Engineer Charlotte Cotton said that since it was a budget year for the Kentucky General Assembly and Governor Andy Beshear, she and her office were advised to structure their spending based on 2021 allocations — which totaled just over $1.3 million and another $180,134 in flex funding.
Using those values, Cotton said three very specific state routes could be mostly milled, and paved, in the next 12 months:
— Long Pond Road (right off of 41A)
— KY 117 (from Gracey to Julien)
— And Overby Lane (from US 68 to Butler Road)
In all, Cotton said the cost would come close to $1.07 million for 6.683 miles of work. And while that’s a good deal of repair for some of the county’s highest-use roads, Cotton said it’s less mileage than in recent years because of one repeated issue: inflation.
Per Cotton and her office’s March calculations, the cost of base rock has increased 20% in the last year, asphalt has increased 33% in the same stretch, and the cost of diesel — like other petrol products — has ballooned.
Cotton said the district wanted a fourth project for this year but didn’t think it was possible to squeeze the budget.
In recent weeks, Cotton said she was advised that the average pavement life in Kentucky’s District 2 is 11 years, and in Christian County, she said that can even be less because of a large agricultural district using heavy machinery, and a large Amish population traveling by horse and buggy.
Cotton added that the county’s flex funding could lead to some resurfacing for KY 398, which leads into Pennyrile Forest State Park. Magistrates Jerry Gilliam and Mark Cansler noted that was needed, too, because of its heavy travel — particularly with horse trailers.
The fiscal court also unanimously approved for Amy Frogue, associate director of community and economic development at PADD, to apply for a “rubber modified asphalt grant” through the Department of Waste Management.
Should the grant be approved, Frogue said the plan would be to use the monies to pave a small section of Witty Lane near Sinking Fork Elementary — as part of a pilot study for durability. Though roughly 40% more expensive per yard than regular asphalt, Frogue said it’s possible that this new material lasts longer. And that could save on future paving costs countywide.
In other court news:
— This Saturday at 6:30 p.m., the Pembroke Ruritan Club will be hosting its highly-anticipated “Donkey Basketball” at the Pembroke Community Center. With the Hopkinsville Chapter of the Fraternal Order of the Police against the Hopkinsville Fire Department, Magistrate Phillip Peterson said tickets are currently available but should sell out rapidly. For more than a decade, the event has been “standing room only,” with funds going back to the maintenance of the gym and other Pembroke needs. Tickets are $10 per person and can be purchased through Ruritan.
— Peterson also brought up the fact that Rosedale Cemetery, in Pembroke, sustained heavy damage during the December 10 tornado. He said repairs are on the way, but four months of consistent rains have made that start almost impossible.
Once the weather stabilizes, work will truly begin.
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