HOPKINSVILLE, KY (CHRISTIAN COUNTY NOW) – Judge Executive Jerry Gilliam gave an update about road adjustments around the new Christian County High School during the Sept. 23 fiscal court meeting. He shared that he has had frequent meetings with KYTC and the school system about the plan for the Lovers Lane and Lafayette Road intersection.
Although progress at the school has moved steadily forward, proposed adjustments to the nearby intersection are stalled. According to Gilliam, work may begin at the end of this year or as far back as spring of next year. This means the road project will extend past the opening date of CCHS in the fall of 2026.
“The money is there, it has been approved,” he said during the fiscal court meeting. “In all likelihood that road construction project will not be complete at that time, but we are staying actively engaged and communicating with between the state, the school, and the county.”
Adding turning lanes and more
As previously discussed by the magistrates back in February, this road project has proven to be complex since half of the road is city, half is county, and both ends are state roads. The adjustments to the road may include adding turning lanes, adding an auxiliary lane, and lessening the hill at the end of Lovers Lane to increase sightlines.
The school board had emphasized in the past that traffic studies of the surrounding roads were done far before construction began. They felt confident that bus traffic will be minimal in that area, aside from students who reside in the neighborhoods, with a concrete traffic plan in place to organize traffic flow within the campus.
When the project does begin, he said KYTC will not fully shut down the road during the process, but will instead divert traffic around the area as to not impact school traffic as much. For now, he said the state department is starting on utilities and easement work before next steps.
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