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Design for new Water Street arch inches forward

Dec 7, 2023 | 4:40 AM

Closed in 2015 by the KYTC the bridge that runs under North Race Street, although it is technically a "masonry arch structure" as it does not go through a hill, will not only get more vertical clearance but a sidewalk and lights as well. Michael Crimmins/Glasgow News 1.

By MICHAEL CRIMMINS
Glasgow News 1

Race Street, or 31E Business as it is designated by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, is driven by thousands of vehicles everyday most of which drive over city-maintained Water Street — the street that runs beside the South Central Kentucky Cultural Center and behind the Glasgow Water Company.

Two week ago a section of N. Race Street, from W. Main to W. Front, was closed so “crews can do core testing for a design project.”

That design project related to the Water Street arch that allows the street to run under the state road — while it is often referred to as the “Water Street Tunnel,” Joe Plunk, chief district engineer for KYTC District 3, pointed out that it is technically a “masonry arch structure” as it does not go through a hill but rather holds up the road.

“They were able to get everything they needed during the week,” Glasgow Mayor Henry Royse said.

According to Plunk, crews took core samples during those three days to “know where the rock is” and “help make important decisions” as to the best design moving forward. While, he said, the design for the new archway is on the way to being complete it has still not been finalized and could change depending on a variety of factors.

As the design stands currently, the archway, which will still be double barrelled, will have lights, a sidewalks for pedestrians — a feature the mayor said will be along the Cultural Center side so that people can walk there — and the vertical clearance will be increased from the current 7 feet to 10 or 11 feet. Plunk also said the private business over the archway will be untouched or only minimally impacted.

The archway– which was built by an unknown party in 1914 — was closed in 2015 by KYTC because, as Plunk said, it was deemed unsafe with the rock, grout and stone beginning to chip away. He also said water and trucks scrapping the roof had caused some damage.

KYTC District 3 covers Allen, Barren, Butler, Edmonson, Logan, Metcalfe, Monroe, Simpson, Todd and Warren counties and covers roughly 2,450 miles of state highways. Plunk said with that much that needs to be overseen projects like this can take a while.

“It takes too long in my opinion,” Plunk said. “People probably think there is no progress. It takes a while, but we’re finally at a point where we can next year start working with landowners and utility companies.”

Plunk said they took public officials’ opinions as well as Royse’s in fashioning design. Royse pointed out that while N. Race Street and the archway is the KYTC’s responsibility there are certain aspects that will be under Glasgow’s jurisdiction like maintaining Water Street itself, the sidewalks and the railings.

“There are certain things that will be the city’s responsibility when it’s all over and done,” Royse said. “Obviously the big pieces of [this project] the state takes care of.”

While the geotechnical findings of the core samples are still being analyzed, and the design is still to be finalized, the plan is to begin the work on the archway in 2025, during which time that section will have to be closed for “many months.”

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