Crews continue working to repair roads, restore access in Southeastern KY

JACKSON, Ky (WTVQ/PRESS RELEASE). –  Kentucky Transportation Cabinet personnel continued their flood disaster relief efforts Sunday, as crews from other counties in District 10 and from other highway districts pitched in to help local personnel restore access and clear roads in Breathitt and Perry counties.

All state highways in Breathitt County are now open to traffic. They are considered passable, which means they can be used, but some roads have suffered severe damage or still have mud and debris on portions of the pavement. Nonessential traffic is discouraged in areas of southern Breathitt County that sustained massive flooding.

Contractor crews are scheduled to begin drilling steel to repair large breaks on KY 1110 between milepoints 5-7 on Monday. These breaks extend to the center of the pavement, but one lane is open, and drivers should use caution. Another large break has been identified on KY 1278 at milepoint 0.7, and repairs are also scheduled to begin Monday.

In Perry County, four state routes remain closed. All other routes are open and considered passable, but breaks and other damage are present in some locations. Drivers should use caution and discretion when traveling on these routes, and avoid travel if possible in the affected areas.

Roads still closed are:
KY 267, closed at milepoint 8.5 due to a slide. This slide cannot be cleared until utility companies remove and repair the poles and lines involved in the slide. Traffic can use KY 15 or KY 476 to bypass either side of the closure.
KY 451, closed at milepoints 10.2 near Busy and 17.0 near Krypton due to drainage structures that have washed out. These closures will last indefinitely, as major repairs are required to replace the structures. Drivers have alternate routes available to bypass the closures. A large break has been reported at milepoint 11.9, and repairs are scheduled to begin Monday.
KY 1146, closed at milepoint 0.3 due to the washout of a temporary diversion that had been installed for a bridge replacement project. The replacement structure is ready for a concrete pour, and traffic will be restored by pouring the concrete and backfilling. This was determined to be the quickest way to reopen the road, and will be done as soon as possible.
KY 3351, closed at milepoint 3.4 near the KY 476 intersection near Ary due to bridge damage. This location will remain closed until crews can make repairs, which have not yet been scheduled.

Elsewhere, KY 1571 and KY 1645 in Estill County are still closed due to backwater flooding from the Kentucky River. As the river crest moves downstream, these roads will reopen once water recedes. Local officials anticipate both roads could be back open by Monday morning if the river keeps dropping.

District 10 received assistance from several other highway districts, including District 3 (Bowling Green), District 8 (Somerset), District 9 (Flemingsburg), and District 11 (Manchester). Personnel from District 2 (Madisonville) are scheduled to arrive Monday. Many of these crews assisted with clearing county-maintained roads in Breathitt County.

Officials will be watching the weather, as heavy rain and additional possible flash flooding are in the forecast for Sunday night into Monday morning. Conditions on flood-damaged routes can rapidly change if more flooding occurs, and breaks can worsen. Drivers should use extreme caution overnight Sunday and Monday morning if storms occur.

KYTC has established a Web site for road condition reports and flooding recovery information at https://ekytransportation-kytc.hub.arcgis.com/. Updates can be found there, along with District 10’s Facebook and Twitter pages.

Motorists should continue to use extreme caution if driving through flood-damaged areas, and are urged to avoid travel on these roads unless absolutely necessary. Drivers should also never attempt to cross a flooded road until water recedes.