Roadway project concerns

Dear editor,

I am writing to you today about the proposed Kentucky (Highway) 53 improvements from Kentucky 22 at Ballardsville to Interstate 71, Project 05-8852 proposed for Oldham County. I encourage you to visit our Facebook page, Building a Better Ballardsville-Oldham County.

This project is really all about the county’s quest to develop the Oldham Reserve, ultimately improving semi-truck access from I-64 to Oldham Reserve. Oldham Reserve is a mixed-use development situated on a 1,000-acre campus. County leadership has been working to entice industry to come here for years with no luck.

Once the new Kentucky 53 is complete from I-64 to I-71, the entire trucking industry is going to use it as a shortcut. Trucking traffic is going to increase at least 10-fold.

We do not need this project as they are proposing. I believe they need to improve on the specific locations along the existing road where accidents are concentrated and analyze options such as traffic-calming devices and improving sight distance in these localized areas. This alone would go a long way towards improving safety on this road.

They need to also focus on the existing interstate highways around this area and continue improving them so as not to create a new one through our quaint, quiet, rural community. So much for the slogan “quietly amazing,’ chosen by our local government to represent the Oldham County community.

They need to focus on the five Es — engineering, education, enforcement, emergency medical services and evaluation, as outlined by the U.S. Department of Transportation. These approaches may include road safety audits, speed management, geometric design and safety performance measurement and evaluation, or various other strategies and combinations of strategies for the existing roadway.

Changing this road will only encourage a much higher concentration of semi-trucks to use this new “shortcut.”

None of the residents want this. This is totally being pushed by the local Oldham County government officials, who are supposed to be working for and looking out for us. It will be cutting right through the center of my farm, with 12 acres on one side of the road and 15 acres on the other side.

I have lots of deer on my farm, and this road will be going right through the middle of it, cutting my woods into two woods. It will decimate my herd. I raise honeybees, and now, I will have to cross this highway to get to my hives on the other side.

My wife and I got married back in 1983 and started out with nothing. My wife worked two and three part-time jobs to help put me through college. I worked part-time as well while going through college. We have worked our entire lives, putting sweat equity into our homes, saving, not doing things extravagant so that someday we would be able to purchase our dream farm. That day came, and we own this farm. We raise vegetables, chickens and honeybees. A couple years ago, we had 96 beehives on the property. I have since downsized to around 40, as it just became too much. However, once I retire in less than two years from my full-time job, I intend to start raising more hives.

This project isn’t necessary because we can improve the trouble spots of the existing infrastructure and achieve a very similar result. There is no reason to encourage more interstate traffic through our community.

This project isn’t cheap, they are spending millions of our tax dollars to build this two-mile route.

In regards to what KYTC is saying about the existing road, it includes:

• Extremely congested through Ballardsville.

I live in Ballardsville, and my house faces the road and is only 90 feet from the road. It does get busy during rush hours just like every other road, but it is clearly not extremely congested.

• Little to no existing shoulders.

This is true as with every other road in the area. Shoulders can be added to the existing road.

• Speed limits vary.

So what if speed limits very. This is a good thing.

• It has inadequate horizontal and vertical geometry.

For who? For a major highway, yes, but we don’t want or need a major highway going through our quaint town, there are plenty of them around us for folks to use for their interstate traveling. County government wants this as a direct path to Oldham Reserve.

• Sight distance for stopping is greatly out of range.

They are putting in a subdivision just to the north of my property in the middle of Ballardsville. The Kentucky Department of Transportation did a study at the opening of this subdivision and said that sight distance was more than adequate. They clearly talk out of both sides of their mouths.

• Single vehicle collisions made up the highest percentage of collisions, followed by rear-end collisions.

Both of these are from folks not paying attention, most likely on their cell phones. Road improvements won’t help with these types of accidents.

Sincerely,

Don Chesak

Crestwood

Speed concerns for new roadway project

Dear editor,

I am writing to you today regarding the proposed Kentucky (Highway) 53 road project. Our town of Ballardsville and adjacent locations do not feel this proposal will result in said improvements. The original plan was to build a five-lane highway, which was deemed excessive and evolved into the straightening and rerouting of the country road with a proposed three-lane highway.

Our concern is that if the road is straightened and maintains a 55 miles per hour speed limit, drivers will no doubt drive up to 70 miles per hour or more. The majority of accidents, per a Kentucky Transportation survey, are single car accidents — 57% to be exact. This stat implies that the majority of accidents are caused by speeding and distracted drivers. The current plan to “improve” this road will more than likely result in increased accidents if changes are not built into this current plan.

I live directly off of 53 and have driven on this road daily for nearly three decades. I have never personally had an issue as I drive the speed limit. However, if the road is straightened, this will open it up for travelers to speed and pay less attention to the road. By simply keeping 53 on the same route and adding turning lanes in appropriate places, lowering the grade line on some of the hills and slowing the speed limit, 53 will be safe and lives will not be destroyed or uprooted.

What about a pedestrian bridge on the overpass over (Interstate) 71 at exit 22? What about adding traffic circles in specific spots to slow traffic on 53? If there is money for an entire road reroute, why not place some policemen on 53 or speed cameras?

Another example of an easy fix to make 53 safer, the speed limit driving southbound by Crystal Bridge Fish Farm is 35 miles per hour. In the exact same spot driving northbound, the speed limit is 55 miles per hour, and that is going into a turn and down a hill with driveway at the end. I understand that there are laws about driving into residential areas versus driving out, but if an entire road can be rerouted, houses and land purchased and plowed down and utilities moved, certainly we can change a speed limit. It’s not necessary to reroute an entire road when simple tweaks could be made and allocated money could be distributed for better use.

Our family farm, which is in an agricultural district, is in the direct route of this highway. The wrecks that have happened in front of our farm have all been single-car accidents. The proposed route will plow through our three largest and most profitable fields, only to continue straight down the middle of 15 acres of stunning woodland, over Camp Creek and on to our neighbors’ property, who are close to completing building their dream home. The road will continue its destruction through other homes and farms that our neighbors have worked through blood, sweat and tears to make a life in the country for themselves.

This road will only go on for about a mile past our farm. All of this destruction, both physical and mental, and the large investment to route a mere two miles of road, for the ultimate purpose of creating a major cut-through for commercial trucks (who are paid anyway) to drive from 64 to 71 to feed Oldham Reserve. This is a cut-through that non-residents will only be on for 25 minutes. My neighbors and I will be living with this every second of every day. The noise pollution and speeding alone will be destructive to our community, and I think you will find great pushback from our neighbors in Shelbyville as well.

I appreciate and support responsible growth. I appreciate a large tax base to feed our counties. I appreciate the hard and sometimes thankless job that you and your team do for Kentucky. What I don’t appreciate is irresponsible growth, developing just because we can, and ultimately the resulting lack of protection for our current residents. The residents that live and love our counties do not support reckless development.

I personally do appreciate the amount of litter all over our roads and hearing we have no money to keep good teachers from leaving our Oldham County schools, rendering our schools a mess and the list goes on. The answer is not to build more roads, schools and add more neighborhoods. All of these additions add clutter and congestion. We cannot build our way out of congestion.

The primary objective of living in this area is to get away from unwanted congestion and clutter and why people move here in the first place. There is so much to be done in Oldham County without adding new projects that will turn our unique, kind town into a generic “Any Town USA,” while simultaneously depleting our funds in the process. If you were to ask our community what we need, I can promise you it’s not a Louisville Hurstbourne Lane rolling through our “quietly amazing” town.

Thank you in advance for your consideration regarding this project and for daily work to make Kentucky a better state. Even if I don’t always agree with our leaders, you are always appreciated.

Sincerely,

Weasie Gaines

Ballardsville

Farmers Market reopens

Dear Editor,

The 2024 season of the La Grange Farmers’ Market and Artisans begins this Saturday, from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m.

The market is proud to present over 50 vendors this year, with a wide range of local farmers, bakers and artisans. The market is held at La Grange Springs Park, located at 110 South Second St.

The market manager, board members and vendors have been working hard on improvements for this year. An information booth will be located at the entrance to the pavilion. Special events have been planned, and focused efforts will be made on education and communication this year. Suggestions for improvement are always welcome.

The La Grange Farmer’s Market and Artisans is a Kentucky Proud Market. All produce is grown locally, and vendors are not allowed to supplement with products from produce terminals or auctions. As a result, produce is only available when in season. Currently, you can expect to see asparagus, greens, lettuce, green onions, radishes and other early spring crops.

Our vendors are eager to share information about their businesses and processes, so please take a few minutes to chat with them if you have any questions or concerns. Lots of entertaining stories and mishaps occur behind the scenes on the farm and in running a small business, so you might walk away with a few chuckles as well.

Visit lagrangefarmersmarket.com for produce availability, vendor contact information and a map of the market layout. Please follow us at facebook.com/lagrangefarmersmkt for weekly updates and vendor spotlights.

We hope to see you on Saturday. Bring your family, friends and your pups ... all are welcome.

The sense of community at the market is refreshing and a great way to start the weekend.

Jennifer Taylor (on behalf of the La Grange Farmers’ Market and Artisans)