Interstate 66 proposals

[L Roebuck]

Officials weigh environment, economics in Interstate 66 proposals

SOMERSET, Ky. - Despite a study that shows construction of Interstate 66 in southern Kentucky would cause minimal damage, some environmentalists still have concerns about the proposed project.

A new study cites significant economic gains from building the interstate between London and Somerset and says environmental damage can be lessened through construction techniques and placing buffer zones around sensitive areas.

"I don't know of anything right now that's going to be a show-stopper" based on the study, said Joe Cox, project manager for the state Transportation Cabinet.

But opponents of the proposal still aren't convinced plans for the interstate should go forward and will likely attend meetings scheduled this week aimed at allowing members of the public to comment on the proposal.

"It is tremendously harmful to historic family farms, forests, wetlands, flood plains and the most pristine cave area in all of Kentucky," said Leslie Barras of Louisville, an attorney and volunteer with Karst Environmental Education and Protection.

The proposed 28-mile stretch of interstate would cut through Daniel Boone National Forest to connect the two towns. The study provided information about 11 proposed routes for I-66 between London and Somerset - deemed by transportation officials as a top priority for I-66 in Kentucky.

Project opponents say the road would destroy woodland and habitat in the forest, increase the risk for groundwater contamination and force dozens to move.

According to the study, the various proposed routes would affect up to 300 acres of farmland and 380 acres of the national forest. The road would also affect more than 200 sites in a diverse area that includes caves, sink holes and underground streams.

But the study suggests that the impact could be lessened without too much difficulty. For example, 300-foot buffer zones could be placed around the entrances of caves where endangered bats live and bridges could be built with closed drainage systems to avoid runoff into streams and rivers.

As for the economic benefits, local officials say jobs would be added in Pulaski and Laurel counties with improved transportation access.

"I think it would be one of the greatest things that would ever happen to London and Somerset," Pulaski County Judge-Executive Darrell BeShears said.

If highway officials decide to proceed with the I-66 project, they hope to choose a route for the interstate by the end of the year. The estimated cost of building the interstate section is $400 million.

Article: www.kentucky.com/mld/kentucky/news/15213605.htm

[L Roebuck]

Nearly 400 attend public meetings on Interstate 66 proposals
Highway seen as either an economic boon or an environmental destroyer
By Bill Estep
South Central Kentucky Bureau

SOMERSET — Sharp differences continue over the need for an interstate connection between Somerset and London as highway planners enter the final phase of deciding whether — and if so, where — it will be built.

A total of about 400 people attended meetings Monday night in London and last night in Somerset to pore over aerial maps of potential Interstate 66 routes between the two cities and comment on the project. The meetings were part of the process required in a decision on building the road, which could come by the end of the year.

Officials will review comments from the meetings as part of the process. Supporters and opponents at the two forums found little to agree on.

People who favor building the road said it would spur economic development by completing an interstate link between Interstates 65 near Bowling Green and 75 at London. Ky. 80 now connects the cities; parts of the 30-mile link have four lanes, but much of it is two-lane with some passing lanes, and it is not limited access.

A draft environmental impact statement on the proposed Somerset-London link cited a 1997 study that concluded building I-66 across Southern Kentucky would boost employment by nearly 8 percent, bringing in hundreds of millions in personal income.

Supporters of the I-66 project pointed out that some people questioned the need for Interstate 75 in the 1960s, but that it’s clear the road has helped the area economy. Some people talked of their hope that economic improvements tied to I-66 would enable their children and grandchildren to stay in the area, rather than having to leave to find jobs.

“It’s a road that we need to do,” Tom Handy, a businessman and former prosecutor in Laurel and Knox counties, said at the London meeting. “It’s a road that’s in our best interest.”

Opponents of the I-66 proposal, however, doubt estimates about its economic benefits and argue that the road is not needed. Even in 25 years, it would serve far fewer vehicles than existing interstates in Kentucky do today, opponents said.

Opponents said the road would be a wasteful boondoggle that would benefit politicians, land speculators and road contractors at the expense of taxpayers.

It would also unnecessarily displace homeowners and damage the environment, cutting through the Daniel Boone National Forest and one of the most unique karst — porous limestone — areas in the country, threatening groundwater, high-quality streams and endangered species, opponents said.

“It is prohibitively expensive. It is environmentally devastating and culturally destructive,” Jim Hays, of London, said at the meeting there. “This is a pork-barrel project.”

Planners identified 11 potential routes for the proposed connector between Somerset and London — six in Pulaski County and five in Laurel County. The most expensive combination would cost an estimated $394 million to build, while the cheapest would be $326 million.

Many people came to this week’s meetings to get a better idea of whether the road project would cross their property or force them to move. Different alternatives would affect different properties; the one with the most impact on residences would require relocation of 151.

There is some frustration in waiting for an answer on whether the road will be built and where, said Frances and Arvil Bowling, who live south of London.

They saw on a map that one alternative would take their home. They’d like to improve their property, but it wouldn’t make sense to spend money and then have to move, they said.

“We’ve been in limbo,” Arvil Bowling said.

I-66 started as an idea to build a new interstate across the United States from Washington, D.C., to California. A study showed that it wasn’t economically feasible to build the whole road, but that some sections might be justified.

Federal law mandated consideration of building I-66 across Eastern and southern Kentucky along a corridor centered on Pikeville, Jenkins, Hazard, London, Somerset, Columbia, Bowling Green, Hopkinsville, Benton and Paducah.

U.S. Rep. Hal Rogers, R-Somerset, whose district includes a long stretch of the proposed road, has been a key backer of the project. Opponents of the Somerset-London section worry about his influence in getting the road built.

According to the state Transportation Cabinet Web site, creating I-66 across Kentucky would involve building new roadway in Pike County; from Somerset to London (rated the highest priority); near Bowling Green; and in far Western Kentucky. In some cases, other sections would use existing roads.

The 33-mile section of I-66 in Pike County and Mingo County, W.Va., is furthest along, with completion of a final environmental impact statement. The Somerset section is next; the draft environmental statement was the subject of this week’s meetings.

Article: www.kentucky.com/mld/kentucky/news/state/15233106.htm

[guanonoggin]

BOGUS!!!

This I-66 deal and the transpark BS Kentucky is trying to cram down the throat of all the peeps in the area is all about making a buck man. This totally reeks of rich politicians trying to get richer and more powerful. The next friggin tactic they will use is to claim it is all for the children. Oh wait, dude, they are already saying that. What a pile of ...

Dude - if you live in Kentucky and you care about what you drink, eat , and breath you really need to get out and let your reps know how you feel about this crap! If they think they won't get re-elected they may act like real freakin human beings instead of sleazy greedy corporate bozos.

Chucky