KYTC District 10 design team wins statewide excellence award for Mountain Parkway emergency repair project
NOTE: This version correct the location of the sinkhole which was in Powell County.
JACKSON, Ky. – An entry submitted by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet Department of Highways District 10's design team was chosen as the winner of the William S. Gulick In-house Project Excellence Award in statewide competition.
The award was for the emergency repairs to the Bert T. Combs Mountain Parkway in Powell County, and was presented to District 10’s Project Development Branch at the recent 2021 Partnering Conference in Louisville.
“Given the emergency nature of this project, winning this award was very rewarding,” said Corbett Caudill, chief district engineer. “The Mountain Parkway is the main route from eastern Kentucky to the central part of the state, and the road’s closure was a major inconvenience for many travelers. Our team worked very hard to get this vital transportation artery open as quickly and safely as possible.”
The westbound lanes of the Mountain Parkway in Powell County near the Wolfe County line were closed on July 22, 2020, when the cause of a persistent pothole and dip in the pavement was determined to be the collapse of the underlying roadbed due to erosion.
“Once our district personnel and the geotechnical experts from KYTC’s Frankfort office figured out what caused the issue, our design team got right to work to develop plans for a permanent repair,” Caudill said. “They realized just how important this road is to so many people and they worked hard to draw up a solution to the problem.”
After the plans were developed, bids were accepted last September and a contract for nearly $1.1 million was awarded, which was about half of the estimated cost of around $2 million. Work began immediately and the road reopened on Oct. 23, more than a week ahead of the construction completion deadline.
“Our district is dedicated to keeping our roads safe and passable,” Caudill said. “This project was a priority for our staff, as the closure impacted a large section of the state. Not only did our design staff work hard, but our maintenance crews in Wolfe and Powell counties had to maintain the detour route and deal with the increased traffic, and our sign crew had to work quickly to sign the detour and install additional warning signage to alert drivers unfamiliar with the detour to hazards along the roadway. This was truly a team effort and we appreciate the recognition.”
The award is named for William S. Gulick, a longtime Kentucky Transportation Cabinet engineer, and is presented annually. District 10 has won the award four previous times since its inception in 2006, most recently for an emergency bridge construction project in Lee County.
“Our personnel often do their best work under pressure, when quick action is necessary,” Caudill said. “That makes this award even more significant and meaningful.”
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 From left: Aric Skaggs, Project Development Branch manager; Corbett Caudill, chief district engineer; Min Jiang, design engineer.
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