Thursday, January 20, 2005

Work should begin soon on major road projects in Simpson County, according to Rep. Rob Wilkey, the budget subcommittee chairman of the House Transportation Committee.

“Richie (Sen. Sanders) and I have worked hard together on these projects,” said Wilkey. “Simpson County has some serious transportation needs because of its position at the state line and because of its growth. We could spend as much as $100 million on the roads down there.”

The lack of a state budget has delayed the much-anticipated I-65 widening project. Adding a lane to each side of the interstate from Bowling Green through Simpson County to the Tennessee line will be funded mainly with federal dollars from the gas tax that is sent back to the states. Wilkey’s plan was to bond $116 million in upgrades for I-65, I-64 and I-75, but the state must have a budget to proceed.

“We will pass a budget, and we will have tax reform. Both sides are committed to passing a budget,” said Wilkey, a member of the majority Democratic party in the House who ran an unsuccessful campaign for house speaker.

The General Assembly convenes on Feb. 1 for a 30-day odd year session.

Wilkey predicted work on the I-65 widening project could begin as early as spring.

As part of the I-65 project, bridges at the Exit Two and Exit Six interchanges in Simpson County will be replaced or renovated. That should help widening projects on Ky. 100 and U.S. 31-W, Wilkey said.

The widening of U.S. 31-W from two to four lanes from Ky. 1008 in south Franklin to the state line is also on the state’s two-year road plan. Projects on the state’s two-year road plan, as opposed to those on the six-year road plan, are among the highest priorities.

Wilkey said design work on the U.S. 31-W project has been completed. Right-of-way acquisition and the moving of utilities is next. Almost $7 million has been set aside in the state’s six-year road plan for preliminary work on U.S. 31-W with construction scheduled to begin in 2008.

“I think construction on that project (31-W) will begin earlier than that,” said Wilkey. “Sometimes, the moving of utilities can take a long time.”