The landscape of south Corbin is changing

I travel the stretch of Falls Highway in south Corbin between Oak Grove and the I-75 overpass on almost a daily basis. Most times I head straight through towards downtown, but many times I jump on the interstate to head towards either Williamsburg or London.

Lately, things have started changing pretty drastically along this stretch of highway as preparations are being made to begin the widening project that will expand the road from two lanes out to five in some spots.

Some of the changes are welcome, as old, dilapidated structures that have been eyesores for years are finally being removed. Other changes have been quite jarring, however, such as the demolition of the former Leisure Time Hobbies building, which has been there for as long as I have lived in the area.

Over the weekend, I noticed that one of the buildings across the road from the Moonbow Plaza is being torn down. This particular building has served as apartments in the past, and I believe a daycare was located there at one point as well.

I have also noticed that a couple of houses have been demolished, one that I’m pretty sure had been vacant for a while, and the other having occupants up until just recently.

This is going to be a pretty massive project once it really gets started, and it has me wondering how certain locations will be affected. Specifically, I wonder what will happen to those lots where active businesses currently sit, not to mention several other houses, both occupied and unoccupied. There are also various entrance/exit points to medical facilities, restaurants, stores, neighborhoods, etc.

It would take me all day to go through the list of properties that are located on this stretch of road, and instead of simply speculating on what might happen to each of them, I have reached out to the Kentucky Transportation Department in hopes of gaining some clarity on what folks can expect in the coming weeks and months.

What I was told by the project manager is, “We have finished right of way negations with all affected properties along the project. In preparation of letting the highway project, we have an ongoing demolition contract. It includes several structures and signs to be removed from the project area. This work is ongoing.”

So, it sounds like folks can expect to see plenty more changes as they continue to drive along this stretch of road. I am very interested to find out which other structures will need to be removed, and if it will include any of those active businesses that I alluded to above. At the very least, if negotiations are complete, then anyone getting removed at least knows that it’s coming at this point.

I am sure that we will have much more coverage of this road widening project as it moves along. Just stay tuned, and as things continue to evolve we will do our best to keep you informed. As for the end result, my hope is that the desired effect will be achieved and it will be an overall improvement to traffic flow in that area.

Only time will tell. Best of luck to us all!