LOUISA, KY. — Roads, roads and more roads was the issue most heavily discussed at Tuesday morning’s regular Lawrence Co. Fiscal Court.
First, Judge/Exec. Phillip Carter asked the court to pass a resolution to allow the county to issue work permits for outside companies who use Lawrence County roads. Carter said the permits will give the county an idea of who is working here and where they are from.
He said large trucks from logging to drilling to other haulers have been making a mess of some county roads and there is no way to know who they are. He said there will not be a fine or penalty for those who do not register, however, prompting County Attorney Mike Hogan to question how the companies will be made to get a permit.
Out of county companies that operate here 2 weeks or more and are hauling more than the 18 ton weight limit
Carter said the magistrates in each district will be asked to help identify the trucks in their districts. They will also be asked to help FIVCO count the number of miles of paved and gravel roads in the county. FIVCO rep Eric Patton attended the meeting asking the court to help him count all the roads in the county so the proper amount of monies can be collected through the state transportation department.
He said there are 3,500 road segments in Lawrence County.
Carter said the magistrate in each district will assist with it but the motion was tabled until next month.
“These overloaded trucks have been tearing up our roads for a long time and we want to try to see who is doing it and make them pay,” Carter said.
Hogan said the county may be able to require truck owners to have an insurance policy that covers up to $100,000 in damages to public roads in order to get a permit, but he said there would still have to be a way of telling if they are overweight or not.
Sheriff Chuck Jackson said that is a big problem because his office has no scales to weigh with and is not certified to do the weight checks, anyway. “I could site them for having bald tires or other problems like that but there’s no way to tell if they are overweight without scales, Jackson said.
After much discussion about the roads Carter said the court is doing all it can to get them fixed.
“This problem has not just come up in the last six months, ” Carter said. “We are out there every day doing the best we can but there is just not enough money to fix them all.”
He also said those who are complaining about the dust should realize there hasn’t been any rain in the past 18 days and that maes it tough especially for those who live on gravel roads. But he said the state will not allow putting oil or any other substance on the highways any more. “In the old days we could oil them down and stop the dust a little, but environmental standards will not allow it now,” he said.
Deputy Judge/Executive Vince Doty mentioned the severe break in the road on Big Blaine Creek which he said is estimated to cost $2 million to fix. “We are looking at a cost share program through the state where the county has to pay 25% of the cost and the state the rest,” Doty said. “We think we can pay for a lot of it in “in kind” work such as hauling our own dirt and doing other jobs that go with the project so we don’t have to come up with all the 25% in cash.”
This should have been done 2 years ago!!!!! Wonderful idea
still nothing about giving the city there fair share of the money
KAG
The article doesn’t say anything about overweight trucks destroying Levisa Drive. I guess you’ll have to wait for “your fair share” of the $ until the trucks start hauling past the mansion!!
do you have any proof or you just throwing stuff out there to see if it sticks or are they just hurting your business ?
KAG
Why should the county.Give the city money.The Mayor gets his from tax money and grants.The Mayor knows like the County Judge.How to get grants and get the job done.I think louisa has a great Mayor.And Lawrence County has a great County Judge.
you do know city taxpayer’s also pay county tax’s why not give some back to the city
KAG
Why not hire 2-4 public safety and security officers that have the power to issue cite for moving and non moving violations and send them for the dot training
Why hire more people to do that when the Sheriff or County could send the deputies( Already have the power to issue cite for moving and non moving violations) to the training and have them out there doing that job. Probably because it is bad politics and cost votes.
Way to go Carter! 🙂
The ideas are good but without any means of enforcing them, they are useless. If I had a log truck on county roads and knew there was a permit needed for $50 and there was no fine if I got caught without it, I’d never get one!!!! Stupid!!! If they want to weigh the trucks, first they will need to post weight limit signs on every county road to let people know what the limit is for that particular road. This weight limit would also include mobile homes being moved, farm trucks, gravel trucks, asphalt trucks, trucks delivering building supplies, depending on the limit–could include school buses, trucks delivering appliances or furniture, etc. The list could go on forever. I agree the roads do get torn up bad from these heavy trucks and I’ve also seen where buses have damaged them also but without any means of enforcing any laws, they are a waste of time!!!!
You people should outlaw anything bigger than a mid-size car on all city and county roads. Sure, that would eliminate any sort of commerce in Lawrence County and you’ll have to drive your kids to school, but that’s what you want. Isn’t it?
That’s both funny and correct! As for weight limits, I think only the State can post them and hence enforce them. The KSP CVE officers are in charge of said enforcement. Sadly since the CVE have full law enforcement power, they tend to do the job of the KSP, instead. I’m not putting them down for that, they do have that right. The Sheriff does not, even if he had scales! Call the CVE, would be my opinion. However as Citizen pointed out, that could create a whole new set of problems? Some things have no easy answer. Blacktop does not last forever. Commerce is the life blood of any community.
They had better do something about the weight limits excuse this county laud thin blacktop being put down that everyone loves now won’t last under buses much less heavy trucks and a bad winter with freezing and thawing. Also notice Carter is already starting to backtrack saying the county has some many roads and problems but the money isn’t there. I believe that’s what the last bunch said also but everyone believed CARTER when he said he could get the money. Shit the state doesn’t have the money for their roads well not until this election season anyway. CARTER has had more money to be used for roads this year than the county has had for years past so what’s he going to do the next few years when they don’t have that extra to help and this has been with him having his best friends in Frankfort to help. Good luck with that county laid blacktop.
Yes my friend the blacktop is thin, in LC and everywhere else! If a road is already black toped they put down 2 inches, if it’s unpaved a 4 inch is about standard. In the last 20 years blacktop went from about $7 a ton to about $45 a ton, no one knows why? When you consider the equipment needed, and the skilled operators, not to mention labor, hauling fee’s etc. I cant tell you what it cost per mile to surface a road, but the price quoted for my driveway was $6000…its about 300 feet, that was for 4 inches deep 9 feet wide. A county road is required to be 11 feet wide per lane…I think? Your guess is as good as mine on what it costs to pave a 10 mile section 22 feet wide (2 Lane), 4 inches thick? I would guess, a million dollars? That may be a very lite estimate. I’m not an expert!