Mowing State ROW Underway in Highway District 12

PIKEVILLE, KY (June 17, 2020) – Mowing on state right of way in the seven counties of Highway District 12 began week before last. Depending on weather, this mowing cycle should be completed by the end of the month.

Contract mowers started week before last in Lawrence County, moving to Johnson, Martin, and Floyd counties. A second crew of contract mowers are working in Knott and Letcher counties as well as on the four-lane routes in Pike County.

Highway District 12 crews from Canada, Phelps, and Shelby Maintenance facilities are working state two-lane roads in Pike County, averaging about 20-25 lane miles each day. “The crews work four-day weeks, Mondays through Thursdays, due to Covid-19 guidelines,” said Sara George, D12 Information Officer. “The shortened work week and days when we have significant rainfall mean that it is taking longer than usual to complete the mowing cycle.”

Illegal signs and litter interfere with this work and pose hazards for mowing crews and motorists. “It is illegal to put signs on utility poles or on state right of way,” George explained. “Yard sale and business signs, political signs, any signs other than those installed by the highway department, will be removed.”

When approaching a mowing zone, drivers are urged to decrease their speed and look for slow-moving tractors and support vehicles. In some areas, crews will clear trees and brush as well as illegal signs, in preparation for mowing. Traffic may be controlled by flaggers when necessary.

“If the weather doesn’t interfere,” George said, “mowing of all state highway right of way should be finished by the end of the month, if not sooner.”