State offers road package to E'town for upkeep

Elizabethtown City Council reviewed a package of access roads, frontage roads and rights-of-way the state has asked the city to maintain after Ky. 361, often referred to as the Elizabethtown-to-Radcliff Connector, is finished.

Planning Director Ed Poppe and City Engineer Scott Reynolds pointed the council to a map detailing 14 areas where the state has suggested the city take over maintenance. Poppe and Reynolds recommended the city accept all but one section: A private access to Elizabethtown Independent Schools property and residences on Cardinal Drive.

Poppe said the city would discuss the rejected property with the state to gauge their reaction. He said the property could fall on private property owners to maintain or the state could force the property on the city because it accepted the other recommended areas.

The state is asking Elizabethtown, Radcliff and Hardin County to accept maintenance on frontage roads built out during construction as well as remnants of the former Ky. 1600 along the Ky. 361 corridor. The road should be completed next year and runs along the former Rineyville Road past the Elizabethtown Bypass north through unincorporated areas of the county before tying into Ky. 313 in Radcliff.

The city already has approved naming the connector Patriot Parkway and Poppe said the city has no immediate urgency to approve the package. However, he presented the recommendations to the city early, in part to reserve names for the roads, which must be assigned addresses. Poppe said the proposed road names have been submitted to E-911 to ensure there is no duplication in the county and have been deemed acceptable.

Proposed areas for acceptance include the Hill Street, Oak Street and Westport Road intersections with a reconstructed Cardinal Drive, all of which would retain their names.

Poppe also recommended the acceptance of a frontage road and connector with access to several private properties that would be renamed North and South Fallingwater Lane. Poppe said the frontage road is on the opposite side of Cardinal Creek Subdivision.

The Johnstown Road, Timber Lane, Fontaine Drive and Robinbrooke Boulevard intersections with Patriot Parkway were recommended to remain as is, though 800 Cardinal Drive would change to 1000 Johnstown Road, according to the memo.

A frontage road and former Ky. 1600 from Tim Davis & Associates to John O’s on Ring Road would be renamed North and South Firehawk Lane while another frontage road off Timber Lane with access to private property would be named Loyalist Lane, Poppe said.

The remnants of Ky. 1600 from Severns Valley Baptist Church toward Robinbrooke Boulevard and the Severns Valley Connector would be renamed North and South Divinity Way based on the recommendation. An access road running through Cox’s Corner Subdivision at Ring Road and Patriot Parkway was assigned the name Ruth Lane.

The fifth frontage road in the package, offering access to Summit Creek Subdivision and county residents, would be renamed Crooked Creek Court, according to the memo.

Poppe said annexations may be needed in certain instances because of the proximity of county residents to the areas.

The state is paving the access and frontage roads, but Reynolds informed the council they will not meet city standards because they have narrower pavement and lack curb, gutter and sidewalks. Some of this could be alleviated by development or the city could prioritize upgrades, Poppe said.

Poppe and Reynolds also suggested the city place directional signage on some of the accepted roads to help residents find business locations.

Executive Assistant Charlie Bryant said the package includes a decades-old agreement that the state will maintain the traveled portion of Patriot Parkway while local jurisdictions maintain the rest of the corridor.

Marty Finley can be reached at (270) 505-1762 or mfinley@thenewsenterprise.com.

In other business

• Robert Bush, director of stormwater management, presented nine bids to the council for the Towne Drive extension to Veterans Way and said he will likely recommend the low bid from Phillips Bros. Construction next week. The low bid came in at $1,484,968.63 from the Hardin County company while the highest bid checked in at $2,365,950.10 from Kelsey Construction in Shepherdsville. Bush said the city expected the project to cost between $1.5 million and $2 million so the bid prices appear reasonable. Bush said all hurdles have been cleared to start the project once the bid is approved. The contract allows for 270 days to finish. Bush projects the roadwork wrapping up toward the end of the year if weather permits and the contractor makes good use of the time.
• The city agreed to waive fees for a subdivision plat Dow Corning will have to file to lease property on Hodgenville Road to Hardin County government. Hardin Fiscal Court approved a 30-year lease agreement with Dow Corning Corp. for a location to construct a new Emergency Medical Services facility. The agreement gives the county access to roughly 2.2 acres of land at 892 Hodgenville Road for $1 per year.