Details on US 25 construction at Williamsburg

Old Corbin Pike will remain two-way, but will have traffic lights at both ends for alternating traffic flow once the cliffs overlooking US25W in Williamsburg are blasted off, but the project start date hasn’t been determined.
Joseph Mosley, a transportation engineer with the state, told a group of nearly 20 community leaders and representatives Tuesday afternoon that Bell South finished work last week moving lines that had held up construction on the US25W widening project until now.
However, the construction company doing the work won’t be allowed to start until they finish work on the Boulevard of Champions near Goldbug meaning construction on US25W near town probably won’t start until mid-September.
If the project hasn’t started by Sept. 15, it will be delayed until next year because of blacktopping restrictions.
“If you all protest, we can push it back until next year,” Mosley added.
Williamsburg Mayor Roddy Harrison said he thinks that it’s best just to go ahead and get the project done.
Once the cliffs are blasted off, both US25W from the Main Street bridge to the old motel on the hill will be blocked off for at least 60 days of construction. First Street, or River Road, will also be blocked off.
After blasting takes place, Mosley noted that crews will probably work for 24 hours per day at least in the beginning.
He added that paving work near Exit 11 that should also be going on in September, which will further worsen traffic congestion.
During the half-hour meeting, community leaders discussed the possibility of making Old Corbin Pike a one-way street as Harrison first proposed a few weeks ago.
Harrison said he changed his mind after meeting with Williamsburg city school transportation officials, who noted that buses already pass each other on the narrow road, which some had feared would be a problem.
City leaders decided that installing traffic lights near Old Lindenburg Drive and near Freeman Hollow to allow alternating traffic flow would be best.
Harrison estimates it will take about two minutes to drive from one point to another.
Mosley said that it won’t be a problem installing the lights, and that the state has officials that specialize in calculating the intervals for such traffic lights.
He added that signs could be put up noting the Old Corbin Pike detour, but that most of the official signs will be announcing the detour path as I-75.
Jerry Rains, a regional official with the Kentucky Office of Emergency Management, said that it will be important to restrict tractor-trailers from using Old Corbin Pike.
Williamsburg Assistant Fire Chief Kevin Smith added that signs need to be posted on Old Corbin Pike directing cars to stay in their own lane of travel even though traffic will be alternating so that emergency vehicles can get through if needed.
Mosley said that signs can also be placed on I-75 warning drivers that buses will be entering the interstate at both exits, which is also a source of concern for many.
T.O. Elliott, transportation director for the Whitley County school system, said that he may have about 25 buses, which will have to take a detour.
Whitley County Sheriff Lawrence Hodge added that the best advice for local residents though will be to avoid downtown Williamsburg as much as possible when the construction starts, especially during peak traffic hours.
Other agencies represented at Tuesday’s meeting included: Williamsburg Independent School District, Whitley County Board of Education, Williamsburg Police Department, Whitley County EMS, Whitley 911, the U.S. Postal Service, and Whitley County Emergency Management among others.