It’s been nine months since Kentucky 3056 was closed to traffic, frustrating local residents who used the road for travel to homes, business and the downtown Maysville area.
But there may be some good news on the horizon, state officials said Thursday.
“We’re close to finalizing right of way agreements and are currently working with contractors on details of the repair plans,” Kentucky Transportation Cabinet District 9 spokesperson Allen Blair said.
“Residents could see surveyors in the area in the next few weeks as we get closer to construction,” he added.
In January, District 9 engineers decided to close the section of roadway due to persistent rockfalls that were becoming larger and, according to Blair, too dangerous to leave the roadway open.
“We knew pretty quickly that the issue was beyond just renting a track-hoe. So, we basically started a construction project — similar to the process used to build a new road, like the Heather French Henry Highway (US 68) — and, because of how heavily Maysville and surrounding communities rely on this highway, we made an urgent call for funding and design work to speed up that process,” Blair said.
Mason County Judge-Executive Joe Pfeffer called the situation concerning and frustrating earlier. The closure is not only an inconvenience for residents who would normally use Kentucky 3056 from downtown Maysville to access Ashwood Drive, Winton Woods Drive, Vernon Street and other streets in the area and travelers but also poses safety concerns for police and firefighters who must take alternative routes to reach the Ashwood and Ashpoint area, he said.
Since its closure, area residents circulated and passed a petition with more than 400 signatures urging the state to take action to fix and reopen the roadway as son as possible, according to Sarah Winter.
Over the last eight months, the highway department has conducted a geological investigation of the slide area, sought and secured a half million dollars in repair funding, engineered repair drawings, and now talked with the landowner – work that Blair said normally could take years to complete.
“We consider this an urgent situation, and are moving as quickly as possible on the repair project,” Blair said.
“Once all details are finalized, we will announce a construction schedule and details of the repair plans,” he said.
But until the repairs are made and the road rebuilt, it will remain closed, he said.
“Until repairs are complete, we continue to feel it’s unsafe to open the roadway. We regret having Kentucky 3056 remain closed, but believe that this is the best and safest decision.”
In another local project on KYTC’s agenda, Blair said there is no news to report on plans to make repairs to the Simon Kenton Memorial Bridge.
“We are continuing monthly monitoring of the damaged cables while working with engineers on temporary repair plans,” Blair said.
On July 29, following inspections that revealed damage to the bridge’s cable suspension system, the weight limit was lowered to 3 tons for all vehicles crossing the bridge to ensure continued traffic safety and to prevent further bridge damage.
“It’s the Transportation Cabinet’s goal to make repairs as quickly as possible, and keep the bridge open until that’s complete,” Blair said at the time. “However, if the new weight limit is not obeyed, the bridge will have to be closed”
Officials with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet are working to develop both a short-term and long-term plan to fix the Simon Kenton Memorial Bridge, officials said in August.
Steve Gunnell, chief district engineer for District 9, said the short term fix involves placing vertical cables alongside the current cables to take some of the load off those deteriorating cables of the bridge which spans the Ohio River from Maysville to Aberdeen, Ohio.
For a long-term repair, the cables will eventually be replaced, he said.
In the meantime, the weight-limit restrictions remain in place.
Blair said KYTC is grateful for the public’s cooperation in keeping the bridge safe.
“We do appreciate everyone’s cooperation with the weight limits. We lowered the tonnage as a precaution and the majority of people seem to be obeying the limits, which helps us keep the bridge open while we plan repairs,” he said.
