Published: September 07, 2008 03:07 pm            

Ky. still working to scale back road projects

FRANKFORT — Facing rising costs and dwindling finances, Kentucky officials think they could save hundreds of millions of dollars in road construction with a little frugality.

The plan is simple. Sort of.

Instead of building a road with extra turning lanes and expansive shoulders, transportation officials are scaling back where possible. Think fewer lanes on some less-traveled roads, or rumble strips or narrower medians to separate lanes.

"It's building a Chevy that's very serviceable instead of building a Cadillac with all the frills," Transportation Secretary Joe Prather said.

State officials are still working to identify which projects will be scaled down. But a decision is expected before the end of the year, Prather said. Maintaining safety and traffic flow is key, he said.

Every project in the pipeline is up for review. The plan, which was first announced in early August, has the potential to save Kentucky millions that could be used for other construction projects throughout the state.

A souring economy has Kentucky state government facing a $900 million revenue drop during the next two fiscal years that started in July. Lawmakers earlier this year approved a two-year $19 billion budget that included significant cuts to health services and education spending.

Engineers in district offices across the state have been reviewing each project, but no final decisions have been made, Prather said. However, changes under consideration on a single project could save the state $17 million to $18 million by shrinking the median, narrowing the shoulders and reducing the amount of necessary land, Prather said.

Prather wouldn't be specific and said there's no firm dollar amount of projected savings for the overall plan they're calling "Practical Solutions." Nevertheless, Prather said he expects it to be "several hundred million."

"The goal is to build the roads that we need and not what we might like to have," Prather said, "which means that safety wouldn't be compromised and drivability wouldn't be compromised. But we would be looking to eliminate any frills so that we could contain cost."

The plan in Kentucky is a spinoff of something started in Missouri four years ago. Missouri has saved about a half-billion dollars in three years, said Kevin Keith, a chief engineer with the Missouri Department of Transportation.

Kentucky lawmakers, Prather said, should like the plan because it offers them a way to get more road projects done sooner.

"The indications are that the General Assembly will look very favorably on this," Prather said. "It means that more legislators are going to have more projects done than they would have otherwise."

Calloway County Judge-Executive Larry Elkins said he favors the idea.

A four-lane project on an approximately eight-mile stretch of highway in western Kentucky was nearly scaled back earlier this summer before transportation officials changed their minds, Elkins said. Transportation officials, however, have planned to pare down some proposed bridges over Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley, Elkins said.

"What they've decided to do is instead of having a fancy bridge, they're going to have a four-lane serviceable bridge that will serve the purpose," Elkins said. "And my personal opinion is that during these difficult times, that was the best decision that they could come up with."

State Rep. Hubert Collins, D-Wittensville, said lawmakers need to take a "very close look" at the proposal and consider motorists' safety. Also, building some two-lane roads now — rather than four lanes — could eventually cost the state more money, Collins said.

"I still think we should continue on what we're doing even though it may take longer to get it done," said Collins, chairman of the House Transportation Committee. "This all has to do with money."



Copyright 2008 The Associated Press.

        

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