Relief Due For 22

At last, there’s some good news for the folks in Worthington, the students at Kentucky Country Day School, and everyone living near Kentucky Highway 22, East of Goose Creek.

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) has awarded a contract for replacement of the collapsed stone arch culvert on KY 22 in Jefferson County. Bids for this project were opened on Friday, May 8 and a contract was awarded that afternoon to Mac Construction of New Albany, Indiana. The cost for construction will be $729,000.

“We are pleased to have this project designed and under contract so quickly with the KY 22 culvert collapse occurring just five weeks ago,” stated Matt Bullock, Chief District Engineer for the Department of Highways District 5 Office in Louisville. “We know how vital this roadway is for motorists in eastern Jefferson County and those commuting from Oldham County. Our staff has worked diligently to get this project ready for a construction advertisement.”

KY 22 has been closed since April 3 when the culvert and roadway over Goose Creek washed out following a record rain event with seven inches falling in a 24-hour period. This section of roadway carries an average of 12,000 vehicles per day. Following the culvert collapse, KYTC engineers quickly designed a culvert replacement project which was advertised for bids on April 30. The contract contains a completion date of August 10, 2015 in an effort to reopen the roadway before Jefferson County Public Schools resume classes on August 12.

The first item of business for the contractor will be to order components for the culvert. The new culvert will be made of precast concrete structures that are fabricated off-site, delivered to the project area and then installed using cranes. Area manufacturers estimate a 6 to 8 week time frame for fabrication and delivery of these components.

Prior to arrival of the culvert, contract crews will be removing remnants of the old stone arch culvert, clearing out the creek channel of any debris and pouring footers. Once the culvert structures arrive at the construction site, it will still take several weeks for installation of the culvert, filling in the soil, paving the roadway and installing guardrail. The design of this new culvert on KY 22 will accommodate a future widening project for turning lanes at Springcrest Drive. KYTC is currently in final design on this project and will begin acquiring the needed right-of-way later this year.