UPDATED: Road work in Providence

UPDATED @ 11:11 a.m.

Crossing on Hwy 120 near Cedar Street

According to workers with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet plans to remove inactive rail crossings on 120 in Providence have progressed faster than anticipated. Work has already been completed to the site on the Green Grove edge of town, and crews will now be moving on with the site located between Gulf and Poplar Streets in Providence.

KY 120 will be closed from around noon today, Tuesday, February 18, until the work is completed, meaning residents on the western side of town should plan to detour around the area for the time being.

The crossings will be temporarily patched, so use caution when crossing these sections of road.

Site where construction is scheduled to begin around
noon today.

Original Story

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet plans to close KY 120 on Tuesday and Wednesday at the west edge of Providence in Webster County to remove inactive rail crossings.

KY 120 will be closed on Tuesday, February 18. 2014, at mile point 3.7. This is along KY 120 between Green Road and Cedar Street.

KY 120 will be closed on Wednesday, February 19, 2014, at mile point 4.4.. This is along KY 120 between Gulf Street and Poplar Street in Providence.

Both closures are to allow the remove of inactive railroad crossings. KY 120 will be closed promptly at 8:00 a.m., CST, both days and remain closed until about 3:00 p.m., each day.

There will be no marked detour. Passenger vehicles may self-detour via side roads. Trucks should self-detour via appropriate state routes.

Motorists who regularly travel KY 120 at these locations should make advance alternate travel plans.

UPDATE: Congressman Ed Whitfield agrees to meet with Fiscal Court and members of the public about FEMA flood maps

by Matt Hughes

J-E News Editor

While members of the Webster County Fiscal Court were discussing controversial Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) flood maps on Monday, February 10, Judge Executive Jim Townsend was in Washington meeting with legislators.

The result of those meetings,  according to Magistrate Tony Felker, is that Congressman Ed Whitfield has agreed to come to Webster County on Wednesday, February 19 to meet with the Fiscal Court and members of the public.

Last year FEMA introduced new flood plain maps for the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Other states have already had the maps implemented or are in the process of doing so. 

On Monday, a congressional delegation from Massachusetts asked that FEMA suspend and amend new flood maps across their state.

Until someone at a higher level of government does something to right the wrong, Webster County officials have their hands tied.

“If we don’t accept them and we have a big flood in Webster County, we aren’t going to be protected by FEMA,” Felker said.  “We wont get any FEMA assistance for our roads or our residents.” 

Residents of Providence who drew FEMA money following the 2002 tornado understand just how important those funds are, but not adopting the maps means that FEMA will withhold the money.

Lyon and Trigg Counties both faced similar circumstances last year when they reviewed their maps. Both of those counties chose to reject them, regardless of the consequences.

“If we were part of that, we felt that we were giving the maps validity,” Wade White, the Lyon County Judge Executive.

White said that he was initially in favor of adopting the FEMA maps because doing so would help some residents get cheaper flood insurance. But his opinion quickly changed.

“After we decided to join this program, people started getting letters telling them that they had to buy flood insurance up on Lake Barkley,” said White. “FEMA mapped in 70 to 80 homes that are higher than the dam.”

Those counties have recently won a small victory by getting FEMA to agree to redo the maps in Trigg and Lyon Counties.

At Monday’s meeting, several members of the public voiced their concern over the maps, reporting that they had already received bills for their flood insurance even though the county has yet to adopt the maps.

“The fiscal court has no control over the insurance,” magistrate Tony Felker said. “But we can work with our congressmen, and I think it would benefit all of you to call your congressman as well.”

Congressman Whitfield will be at the Webster County Courthouse in Dixon on Wednesday at 9:00 a.m.

For more on the story:

Fiscal Court hears from resident on FEMA flood maps

Two of the areas in question include Sebree, pictured above, 

and Clay, below.