Cumberland County Judge Executive John Phelps, Jr., Cumberland County Sheriff Steve Wheat and Cumberland County Coroner (and paramedic) Gary White spoke to the Interim Joint Committee on Transportation in Frankfort Tuesday, October 4 concerning the completion and relocation of a portion of KY 90 West. In December 2007, this portion of highway was under a change order for completion, and in January 2008 it was stopped. It is now on the unscheduled needs list.

Also attending the meeting were Emergency Management Director Greg Cary, Burkesville Fire Chief Weldon Rowe, County Attorney Lindsey Bell, concerned citizen, Jeremy Wright, and Magistrates Edward Anderson, J.V. Groce and Ricky White.

Phelps began by saying he was expressing the concerns of all the residents of Cumberland County in regards to the completion and relocation of KY 90 West from Owens Road to Norris Branch Road.

“We are here to express the safety issues and serious dangers to those who travel the roadway and to request that this section of state highway be reviewed, investigated and re-prioritized to be completed as soon as possible.”

Phelps said data and photos of accidents occurring on this section of highway since October 2010 have been compiled. Of the 136 accidents on Cumberland County highways since October 2010, 43 have been on KY 90 West, accounting for 31.6 percent of all traffic accidents in Cumberland County; the majority of those being within five miles of the Burkesville City limits and within the stretch of highway between Owens Road and Norris Branch Road. Of those accidents, there have been three fatalities since June 2011 and many more in previous years.

Sheriff Steve Wheat told the committee that construction would help and he was sure of this because of the past history of accidents on another section of KY 90 known as the Sawmill Cut.

“I worked wreck after wreck at the Sawmill Cut,” Wheat said. “One day I worked nine wrecks. When it started raining, the highway was like a sheet of ice, and that was in the summer. Since its repair, I haven’t worked a wreck in that area of highway. I know construction would help us in the area we are talking about.”

Wheat also gave a moving account of a fatal accident he investigated in September on KY 90 West.

Phelps, Wheat and Coroner White also told the committee how much traffic travels KY 90 West, especially an increased number of trucks traveling to and from I-65 and I-40.

Representative Steve Riggs thanked the Cumberland County group for their personal stories and said it did make a difference.

Committee Co-Chairman, Senator Ernie Harris, said the committee makes recommendations, but it was ultimately up to the legislature to approve construction.

Phelps said he delivered a letter to Governor Steve Beshear’s office requesting a review of KY 90 West and to remove it from the unscheduled needs list of completion as soon as possible.