KY 1146 at Hardburly in Perry County back open to traffic
Work continuing in other areas as flood cleanup efforts continue
JACKSON, Ky. – One of the state highways rendered impassable in last week's record flooding in the upper Kentucky River valley has reopened to traffic.
A temporary diversion at the site of a bridge replacement project on KY 1146 at Hardburly in Perry County was washed out, making the end of the route inaccessible. A contractor crew has opened up one lane of the new structure to provide vehicular access beyond the site. One-lane traffic will be controlled by temporary traffic signals for the duration of the project, which was scheduled to be completed by Aug. 15 before the flooding occurred. The area remains a work zone and drivers should expect very rough surface conditions and possible delays while construction continues.
A contractor crew is also working to remove a large slide on KY 267 in Perry County at milepoint 8.5. The slide could not be addressed until utility lines and poles were removed. Now that the downed utility lines are out of the way, the slide can be moved off the road and the highway reopened to travel.
Work is continuing to repair major breaks in pavement on KY 451 in Perry County, KY 1110 in Breathitt County, and KY 1278 in Breathitt County. Daytime closures are in effect for KY 1110 while the work continues.
Personnel from other counties in District 10 and crews from other highway districts across the state are continuing to assist in clearing mud and debris from state and county roads, and bringing equipment and supplies for use in the recovery effort.
Engineers and technicians continue to evaluate highways that will require repairs after critical work to regain or retain accessibility is completed, and are prioritizing needs according to traffic volumes, severity of the damage, and the presence or absence of alternate routes around the affected locations. Preliminary estimates are that between $13-15 million in damage was sustained by state highways in Breathitt and Perry counties.
Five locations on four state highways remain closed, all in Perry County. All other routes within the district are open and considered passable, but breaks and other damage are present in some locations, and drivers may encounter mud and debris on the pavement. Drivers should use caution and discretion when traveling on these routes, and avoid travel if possible in the affected areas.
Roads still closed are:
KY 267, closed at milepoint 8.5 due to a slide. Work is underway to remove the slide now that fallen utility lines have been removed. Traffic can use KY 15 or KY 476 to bypass either side of the closure.
KY 451, closed at milepoints 10.2 near Busy and 17.0 near Krypton due to drainage structures that have washed out. These closures will last indefinitely, as major repairs are required to replace the structures. Drivers have alternate routes available to bypass the closures.
KY 1087, closed at milepoint 1.2 for a break that originally affected one lane, but worsened and took out both lanes. Drivers can use KY 476 in Perry County or KY 160 in Knott County to access points on either side of the closure.
KY 3351, closed at milepoint 3.4 near the KY 476 intersection near Ary due to bridge damage. District 10's Structures personnel continue to evaluate the location to determine the best method of repair. Drivers can use KY 80 and KY 476 as a detour route.
KYTC has established a Web site for road condition reports and flooding recovery information at https://ekytransportation-kytc.hub.arcgis.com/. Updates can be found there, along with District 10's Facebook and Twitter pages. Links are also available for sources of information on road conditions in District 11 and District 12, which also suffered heavy damage in the flooding.
Motorists should continue to use extreme caution if driving through flood-damaged areas, and are urged to avoid travel on these roads unless absolutely necessary. Unnecessary sightseeing is discouraged, as this traffic can interfere with vital rescue and recovery operations.
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KY 1146 at Hardburly in Perry County is back open to traffic. Drivers should use extreme caution in this area.
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