$1.3 million road construction project to begin in downtown Corbin May 20

A $1.3 million project to improve the two main roadways in downtown Corbin is set to begin May 20, and local officials say it is some of the most significant work being done to downtown streets in years.

Originally slated to begin in April, Corbin Mayor Willard McBurney said the Kentucky Department of Transportation has decided to wait until school is out of session before beginning milling and resurfacing of Main Street and Kentucky Ave.

"To get both of those streets fixed like this is a big project," McBurney said. "Gov. Steve Beshear added this into the road plan as a special project after he saw the need we had here in Corbin. We are very thankful to him for that."

Preliminary work began last year. Crews dug up huge portions of the road on Main Street and Kentucky Ave., often up to six feet deep, in order to shore up weak spots in the road that were sinking or in danger of collapse. Handicap approaches on downtown sidewalks were also replaced at the time.

Starting on or about May 20, crews from Elmo Greer and Sons, working on contract with the state, will begin milling work on the two roadways followed by resurfacing. They will also be working on trouble areas of Fourth and Fifth Streets where the roads have begun to sink or are uneven.

Kentucky Ave. and Main Street will be milled and resurfaced from the Overpass Bridge all the way down to 18th Street. A separate project is planned to resurface South Main Street from 18th Street to the entrance of the Corbin Bypass. It will happen at a later date.

"We just ask everyone to be patient while this is going on," McBurney said. "It can be aggravating being slowed down when you are driving by construction, but that’s the price of progress. Once it is complete it will better than ever."

Another project planned for later this year will include widening of Cumberland Falls Hwy. near Exit 25 to accommodate turning lanes. It will also serve to reconfigure the exit and onramps to and from I-75.

McBurney said bids for that project would be opened later this summer.