DEAD MAN’S CURVE PROJECT HALFWAY DONE?

Mountain Enterprises is the contractor on KY 2565, Dead Man’s Curve, a $1,037,727.65 project which started on Monday, October 14 IN LOUISA. The contractor has worked about 25 days so far, according to District 12′ Section Engineer Doug Wright.

The contract allows 100 working days to complete the project. “The thing you need to remember,” said Sara George, D12 Information Officer, “is that working days are charged from April 1-October 31, during what is considered construction season. If a contractor chooses to work any time from November 1 one year through March 31 the next year, those are not charged against the contract.”

George explained that most contractors want to work through the winter months, for a variety of reasons, one of which is to keep their employees working. However, these are the months when weather is typically more unpredictable, and a lot of highway construction work is weather-dependent.

“Mountain probably has 85 days or more left on this contract,” George said. “We have been told for the past several weeks that they will be back on the job at Dead Man’s Curve on Monday. Hopefully, that means this coming Monday, March 16.”

There is still some excavation that needs to be done before paving, guardrail installation, and finishing work can happen, George said. The project is designed to eliminate the curve just before the road intersects with KY 3 (Eloise Preece Street), which will improve sight distance and enhance safety.

At the time that work started in October, Roger McPeek, project manager for Mountain Enterprises, said that the planned timetable is to finish the work around the middle of May this year. The road will remain closed throughout the work zone until that time.