Governor to cut ribbon, break ground on projects

During celebration today, in honor of Hwy. 22 completion,

gas-line groundbreaking

By tim mandell
timm@owentonnewsherald.com

Kentucky’s governor, Ernie Fletcher, will be in Owenton today to help the community celebrate two milestones — the completion of Hwy. 22 and the groundbreaking of the gas line project.
The ceremonies begin at Owen County Elementary School at 9:15 a.m. where a ribbon is expected to be cut symbolizing the completion of the Hwy. 22 project from the intersection with Hwy. 127S. and the high school.
“The $5.5 million-project will improve safety and traffic flow near Owen County High School,” a press release from the governor’s office reads. “The 2-mile project widens the highway to three lanes and includes bike lanes, sidewalks and curbs.”
Expected to speak, in addition to Fletcher are Rep. Royce Adams and Sen. Damon Thayer.
The public is invited to attend.
After the ribbon-cutting ceremony, the morning’s activities will move to Actaris where the groundbreaking for the county’s gas-line project will take place. That event is slated for 10:30 a.m.
Frank Downing, chairman of the Owen County Industrial Authority, said last week that bids for the gas line project were accepted.
This latest round of bidding came in at $4.564 million, below the available funds of $5.3 million.
Local officials met with state and federal officials in December to ask if funding for the project could be secured. The project had been bid several times at that point and each time it came in over the available funding.
After the discussion, Rep. Royce Adams and Sen. Damon Thayer made it their priority to put the project on the top of their list for the 2006 General Assembly and secured the $5 million for the project.
At one point, the governor was planning to remove the funding for the project, but calls from more than 200 Owen County residents kept it in the state budget.
The additional $300,000 available for the project comes from the federal budget, secured by Sen. Jim Bunning two years ago.
“This bid was significantly less than the last round,” Downing said. “Steel prices have gone down and the state has allowed us to move the line next to the roadway, rather decreasing the cost.”
Clay Pipeline received the pipeline portion of the bid. International Mold & Steel will supply the steel for the project.
The gas line will connect to the Carrollton line and come through Sparta then drop down Hwy. 35 and Hwy. 127 to Owenton.
With the lower bid price, Downing said he thought there would be enough funds to take the line all the way through Owenton to the new Save-A-Lot store going in on the eastern side of the city.
The project is expected to take nine months to complete, but Downing added that the contractors thought they could be finished in six if the weather holds.
The Owenton City Council was expected to approve the bid package at its meeting Tuesday night.

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