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Last leg of Hwy. 92 “not set in stone” |
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Written by Andrew Powell
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Friday, 13 June 2008 |
An official with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet said the last phase of construction for a new route to I-75 could be in jeopardy as state officials look for ways to save money.
James Hoskins, a field representative with the KYTC, appeared before Fiscal Court Tuesday to discuss the project and to offer his assistance to local officials in keeping the project on track.
“If there is one road needed in this state this is the one,” Hoskins told court members. “It’s your lifeline to the world.”
The final stretch of the reconstruction project entails a 6.6 mile length of road from the junction of Hwy. 1470 and Hw.y 592 (foot of Davis Hill) to U.S. 27 in Pine Knot. The project, which would finalize a complete upgrade from Hwy. 92 between Pine Knot and Williamsburg, was approved in the most recent state highway plan, a plan that was vetoed by Governor Steve Beshear as his administration looked for ways to cut costs from a strained budget.
Hoskins said the project is not set in stone, and while he feels the road will be completed at some point, the project could take longer than expected and would not be as elaborate as initially planned.
“They are scaling back the cost,” Hoskins said of the $14 million project. “They are going to build a road. It would be adequate, but not elaborate.”
Hoskins said even with the portion of the project not under contract for construction, a $66 million phase of construction that would take the road from Cornbread Branch in Whitley County to Hwy. 592 in McCreary County, is being renegotiated to save costs. State officials have met with the contractor, Elmo Greer, to look at ways to scale back costs such as decreasing the road’s shoulder size and decreasing the length of passing lanes.
The construction on that phase should progress as initially scheduled, he said, with the road drivable by fall of 2011.
Hoskins also offered his assistance to McCreary County and offered recommendations to keep the project moving forward. County officials should write letters to those in state government and even circulate a petition stressing the importance of the road project.
“It would be beneficial to you all to apply pressure,” he said. “It won’t happen this year or maybe not next year, but maybe they would then come back and complete it as scheduled.”
Hoskins said if state finances turned around, or if revenue was realized from other sources, such as tobacco taxes or gaming, the county’s support of the project could help strengthen the road’s priority status.
“I thought we would be riding on this in three years’ time,” McCreary County Judge-Executive Blaine Phillips said. “We will get petitions and work with you to present them.”
Phillips said the project, which has been in state plans for more than 20 years, was the “most important project to happen to McCreary County in our time.” He urged Hoskins to meet with Whitley County officials about the project as well. Hoskins added that Joe Prather, Kentucky Secretary of Transportation, was planning to visit the area later this summer, and a meeting with local officials could be possible.
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