KY Transportation Dept. News Today:
BEWARE!
Traffic interruption today!
LAWRENCE COUNTY: Monday, May 4, 2015 – A section of KY 32 in Lawrence County near the BP station that closed recently will be shut down today so that workers can replace a drain that runs under the pavement.
Lawrence County Superintendent Todd Moran said the road will close about 9 a.m. and should re-open at 3 p.m. this afternoon, Monday, May 4. The closure is necessary because the crew has to remove the pavement to replace the pipe. No traffic will be allowed through the work zone area.
“As always, we thank everyone for their patience and understanding. We will finish the work as quickly as safety allows. Now that we have good weather, we are able to take care of these maintenance issues that have developed over the past winter. Good drainage is so important for safety on our roadways, and we are grateful that people are very cooperative when we have work crews out on the roadways.”
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Repair work closes bridges in Johnson, Lawrence
HIGHWAY DISTRICT 12: Monday, May 4, 2015 – Repair work on two bridges – one in Johnson County and one in Lawrence County – is almost complete.
Steel repairs started April 22 to the bridge over the Levisa Fork on KY 644 in Lawrence County, and Thursday, April 23, on the bridge on KY 321 over Little Fork of Big Sandy in Johnson County.
The Lawrence County bridge was closed for two days. The Johnson County bridge was reduced to one lane using a temporary two-phase traffic signal. The contractor had five days to complete the work.
The contractor for this project is Intech Contracting of Lexington. The completion date for the contract is May 31. The contract amount is $49,635.00.
Beverly Thomas-Fugate of Highway District 12’s Paintsville Section Office said the repairs were part of routine maintenance for the bridges. “We know this was a temporary inconvenience for people who use these bridges on a daily basis, and we want to thank everyone for their patience and understanding. We inspect our bridges on a regular basis, and schedule repairs as necessary. We have in-house bridge inspectors who are out in the field every day making sure our bridges are safe. Our first priority is safety for the people who drive our roadways and use these bridges, and we appreciate everyone’s cooperation when we have a work zone under way.”
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Highway District 12 honors employees who lost their lives while on the job
HIGHWAY DISTRICT 12 – Monday, May 4, 2015 – In observance of National Workers’ Memorial Day on April 28, Highway District 12 honored employees who lost their live while on the job in the district.
Chief District Engineer Mary Westfall-Holbrook and Safety Director Gerald Altman to hang a memorial print in the District 12 headquarters lobby in Pikeville. KYTC Graphic Designer Shannon Martin designed the print, which honors the following fallen employees:
Leo Hamilton, Letcher County, hit by a car on Thursday, August 15, 1963;
J.G. Rife, Lawrence County, crushed in an accident, Friday, November 21, 1969;
Martin Mitchell, Knott County, backed over by a truck, Thursday, March 26, 1970;
Charles E. Martin, Knott County, internal injuries from work zone accident, Friday, June 2, 1972; and
Burnett Breeding, Pike County, vehicle crash on the job, Tuesday, February 24, 1976.
“The hanging of this print serves two purposes,” said Kentucky Transportation Secretary Mike Hancock. “It honors those we lost, and serves as a reminder to our current employees to be safe and alert while working to improve our roads.”
Westfall-Holbrook noted that Workers’ Memorial Day was established by the US Department of Labor to honor workers who have died on the job. The day acknowledges the suffering of families and communities, as well as these men’s co-workers at Highway District 12. “We encourage everyone driving through a work zone to slow down and pay attention to our workers,” she said. “We do not want to add more names to this list”
