Rural county roads that are unsafe or need improvements are on Boone County’s radar. Two-lane Porter Road in Verona is first on the list – and slated to be widened.
“A few years ago, we decided to create the Rural Roads Fund to begin to address these roads,” Boone County Judge/Executive Gary W. Moore said. “Porter Road came to the top because of the number of vehicles per day that travel a road that doesn’t have two-lane width for vehicles to pass safely.”
The work will include two 10-foot driving lanes and two, two-foot shoulders – the minimum requirements recommended by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet’s design manual.
Riegler Blacktop submitted the low bid of $1,307,120.49.
The minimum standards will provide enough room for two vehicles to pass without driving off of the pavement – as they do every day, Boone County Assistant County Administrator/County Engineer Rob Franxman said.
“In order to minimize speeding, we will stripe the road,” Franxman said, acknowledging there will also be signage improvements. “Generally, striping gives a narrowing effect. That narrowing helps to lower the speed.”
Moore said he is unaware of any traffic fatalities on Porter Road.
“I don’t want to wait for one,” Moore said. “One fatality or one serious accident for somebody to be badly injured is one too many. We have the revenue to be able to do a better job on these rural county roads.”
