W’burg gets $100,000 in emergency road aid for George Hays Road repair

The city of Williamsburg got some good news Monday.

Repair work to George Hays Road was recently completed.

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet announced that it had awarded $100,000 in county road aid emergency funds cover the cost of repairs to George Hays Road.

Williamsburg Mayor Roddy Harrison said the funding would cover the full cost of the repair, which he estimates to be a little over $75,000.

“We will be able to send some back,” he noted.

Harrison said he was relieved to be notified about the funding, and had been trying to figure out where the city was going to get the money to cover repair costs if the transportation cabinet hadn’t come through with the funding.

“It was real nice that the state worked with us. I want to say thank you to the commissioner’s office,” he added.

George Hays Road partially collapsed on April 17 into Briar Creek after the culvert under the road washed out.

The road collapse took place about 0.519 miles east of Briar Creek Park Loop.

“The Bevin administration is committed to the Cabinet’s mission of providing a safe, reliable transportation network for all Kentuckians,” said Transportation Secretary Greg Thomas. “These emergency funds will help local governments repair and restore damaged infrastructure throughout their communities.”

The repairs will make it safer for cars, school buses and other vehicles that rely upon the highway, a Kentucky Transportation Cabinet release stated.

The City of Williamsburg was responsible for administering the work.

The road reopened on Aug. 16 after a new 56-foot long by 72-inch wide culvert was installed.

City officials had originally planned to install a boxed culvert in order to repair the road collapse, but the price tag on that project was about $171,000.

About one month ago, city officials changed the repair to a regular culvert, but one significantly larger than the prior one in order to reduce the project cost after being informed they wouldn’t receive the entire $171,000 to pay for a boxed culvert.