By MICHAEL CRIMMINS
Glasgow News 1
On the day before the full Barren County Fiscal Court, the county transportation committee met and discussed several county roads in need of repairs.
The Beechtree Lane widening project was the first discussed by the three committee members. In September 2024, the transportation committee approved bids to clear trees and other foliage along a portion of the road with widening the portion being the ultimate goal. Barren County Judge-Executive Jamie Bewley Byrd said, in addition to widening the road, the intersection with Roseville Road is the biggest thing to do prior to paving, which Deputy Judge-Executive Garland Gilliam said involved changing its “grade.”
At Byrd’s suggestion, the committee decided to put it out for a design-build bid, which Gilliam said means the county gives the bid winner its goal and the winner does the design and construction.
The Siddens Road bridge was discussed next. The fiscal court recently approved an agreement with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet for “preventative maintenance.” Magistrate Marty Kinslow said this “was a serious project” where “structure should come first and aesthetics later.”
“I drive over it and I wonder if it’s safe,” Kinslow said.
Gilliam said the road department received a bridge inspection report from cabinet personnel that had a series of suggestions that they would use to craft the maintenance bid.
The final road discussed was Mt. Pleasant Road, which was closed last year for numerous tile replacements. As previously reported, before repaving the road the magistrates wanted to move the Roseville Road intersection closer to the church that Byrd said “is all for it.” The design is already completed, Byrd said, and suggested putting the work out for bid to see the prices.
“If it’s astronomical we can just pave and finish it,” Byrd said.
