Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Final Pike County Segment of US 119 To Open Monday
The final section of US 119 in Pike County will officially open to traffic on Monday, March 3. Please watch for removal of the existing lane closures on the northbound and southbound lanes. This will indicate the official opening of the roadway.
“The speed limit is 55,” cautioned Danl L. Hall, PE, Chief District Engineer, “and there definitely will be a focus by law enforcement on this section of highway. We urge motorists to observe the speed limit and to make sure they and their passengers use their seatbelts.”
“We are excited about the opening of this final section of US 119 in Pike County,” said Mary Westfall-Holbrook, Construction Branch Manager for Highway District 12. “The trip from West Virginia to Pike County and all of Eastern Kentucky will be faster, safer, and more enticing than ever. However, motorists need to be aware that work will continue in this area. Northbound and southbound lane closures will remain in place until all of the median work is finished. Again, just be cautious as you drive through this section until you become familiar with the new road way.”
Paxton Weddington, Resident Engineer for the US 119 project, said that people have been “mostly patient,” although he pointed out that the contractor actually finished the work ahead of schedule. “It’s hard when people see new asphalt and what looks like a finished highway. They wonder why they can’t drive on it. There are dozens of other things that go into road-building besides leveling a road bed and putting down blacktop. In fact, if people are really interested in the road-building process, they can view a more detailed description at our website, http://www.planning.kytc.ky.gov/images/publicdiagram_new.pdf .”
Chief Hall said he is happy the road will be open to traffic and pointed out that this is a milestone in the road-building history of the United States as well as Kentucky . “This is an APD road, which means it is part of the Appalachian Regional Commission’s system of highway corridors that were first approved by the United States Congress in the late 1960s as part of a long-term effort to make Appalachia accessible to the rest of America – and to let our fellow citizens outside this region discover that some of the most beautiful country and most interesting people are Appalachian Americans.”
Hall said that a formal ribbon-cutting celebration will be held in the late spring or early summer, when the weather is more predictable.
“The speed limit is 55,” cautioned Danl L. Hall, PE, Chief District Engineer, “and there definitely will be a focus by law enforcement on this section of highway. We urge motorists to observe the speed limit and to make sure they and their passengers use their seatbelts.”
“We are excited about the opening of this final section of US 119 in Pike County,” said Mary Westfall-Holbrook, Construction Branch Manager for Highway District 12. “The trip from West Virginia to Pike County and all of Eastern Kentucky will be faster, safer, and more enticing than ever. However, motorists need to be aware that work will continue in this area. Northbound and southbound lane closures will remain in place until all of the median work is finished. Again, just be cautious as you drive through this section until you become familiar with the new road way.”
Paxton Weddington, Resident Engineer for the US 119 project, said that people have been “mostly patient,” although he pointed out that the contractor actually finished the work ahead of schedule. “It’s hard when people see new asphalt and what looks like a finished highway. They wonder why they can’t drive on it. There are dozens of other things that go into road-building besides leveling a road bed and putting down blacktop. In fact, if people are really interested in the road-building process, they can view a more detailed description at our website, http://www.planning.kytc.ky.gov/images/publicdiagram_new.pdf .”
Chief Hall said he is happy the road will be open to traffic and pointed out that this is a milestone in the road-building history of the United States as well as Kentucky . “This is an APD road, which means it is part of the Appalachian Regional Commission’s system of highway corridors that were first approved by the United States Congress in the late 1960s as part of a long-term effort to make Appalachia accessible to the rest of America – and to let our fellow citizens outside this region discover that some of the most beautiful country and most interesting people are Appalachian Americans.”
Hall said that a formal ribbon-cutting celebration will be held in the late spring or early summer, when the weather is more predictable.
# posted by Joe Kinzer @ 5:28 PM 
