By Kentucky Transportation Cabinet
Murray, KY – The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet has reopened and extended section of KY 121 at the Ballard-Carlisle County Line. Water has dropped off the highway in this area allowing it to reopen.
Crews have carefully inspected the roadway to assure that the pavement and road based are in sufficient condition to allow KY 121 to reopen to through traffic between US 62 in Carlisle County and KY 286 in Ballard County.
The opening of KY 121 provides another avenue into and out of Ballard County and opens an important connection to the south into Carlisle County, as well as Mayfield and Graves County. However, the US 51/US 60/US 62 Ohio River Bridge between Wickliffe and Cairo remains closed, so there is still no route for through traffic to the west and north in Ballard County.
Highway engineers emphasize that as floodwaters drop at various locations they will be inspecting road levees, bridges, and drainage structure that have been submerged for extended periods to assure they are safe for traffic.
Law enforcement agencies are continuing to write citations to motorists who ignore road closed signs in all counties.
Transportation Cabinet Spokesman Keith Todd says engineers fully understand that with near $4 a gallon gasoline drivers want to reduce the distance they're driving to and from work as quickly as possible.
"We recognized that many commuters have more than doubled the distance they drive to and from work due to extended detours," Todd said. "However, as waters gradually receded engineers and inspectors need appropriate time to assure that there are no washouts, and no erosion of highway support structures that would be a safety hazard to the driving public."
Todd noted that law enforcement has been supportive by strictly enforcing road closures during the flood.
"While we've had reports of a number of people losing their vehicles by driving off into floodwaters, we've had fewer flood-related fatalities that some surrounding states. We credit tough enforcement by our police agency partners with helping reduce loss of life and injuries," Todd said.
Highway engineers have appropriate concern about the levee leading out to the US 51/US 60/US 62 Ohio River Bridge between Wickliffe and Cairo. The levee was constructed in 1932, and while it has been upgraded and maintained over the years, about a 2-mile section has been under floodwaters more than 7 feet deep for about two weeks. Due to strong currents in the area engineers plan to carefully inspect the structure after floodwaters receded sufficiently to allow access to the roadway.
Todd says with a 90-mile detour from Wickliffe to Cairo, engineers recognize the need to get traffic back on the Cairo Bridge after floodwaters drop. However, they want to assure the safety of the structure. Water is believed to still be about 5 ft. deep on the bridge approach levee between the 5 and 7 mile marker on the Kentucky side. A manned barricade remains on the bridge to keep traffic off the approach.
Motorists who attempt to cross while it remains closed will be cited by police. Numerous citations have been written to motorists who have tried to pass the barricade.
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