Four Mile, other road projects funded

Published 10:34 am Tuesday, October 25, 2016

The long wait to rebuild Four Mile Road may be nearing the end.

Last week, county officials received word state officials approved a contract for the project, which will replace a section of the road which became impassable following heavy rains and flooding about 18 months ago.

Clark County Road Supervisor Kevin Wilson said the state approved a little more than $227,000 for the project, which is $60,000 less than originally requested. The scope of the project changed, he said, and should anchor the road much better.

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The plan calls for contractors to sink steel beams into the bedrock below the road, which will provide a secure base for the road to be rebuilt above, he said.

“I think we’ll still be OK,” Wilson said. “It’ll be a better repair.”

The plans call for 311 pieces of steel to be used between two rows to tie it to the bedrock, he said. Part of the destruction to the road was caused by the ground settling underneath. The design should prevent that from happening again, he said.

If all goes as planned, the project could be bid in November and work would start shortly afterward. As long as weather remains decent, Clark County Judge-Executive Henry Branham said they could work through the winter on Four Mile Road.

Following a brutal winter in early 2015, drainage caused the ground to settle significantly under a portion of Four Mile Road, which caused the road to break apart. It has been closed since.

Though there are no homes along the closed section, the road remains impassable and is no longer a through road.

Branham also said he received notice recently from State Rep. Donna Mayfield that approximately $240,000 in discretionary funding has been released for work on county roads. The top four priorities, according to the county’s request, are 0.7 miles of Old Ruckerville road, almost two and a half miles of Jackson Ferry Road, 0.6 miles of Little Stoner Road and 1.33 miles of Fox Quisenberry Road.

In all, the county requested more than $451,000 in discretionary road funds.

Contact Fred Petke at fred.petke@winchestersun.com.

About Fred Petke

Fred Petke is a reporter for The Winchester Sun, the Jessamine Journal and the State Journal. His beats include cops, courts, fire, public records, city and county government and other news. To contact Fred, email fred.petke@bluegrassnewsmedia.com or call 859-759-0051.

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