A rendering of planned pavement markings and road signage to be installed along State Quarry Road in northern Barren County was included in a contract approved by magistrates on Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022.
(KENTUCKY TRANSPORTATION CABINET)
BY BRENNAN D. CRAIN, WCLU News
GLASGOW — Magistrates approved Wednesday in a special session a contract with the state road department to install railroad signage and pavement markings along State Quarry Road.
The stretch of rural road resides just off Highway 31W in Barren County between Cave City and Park City. It is maintained by the county road department and fiscal court.
Recent crashes along the roadway have drawn attention to the roadway and a railway crossing there. One involved a fatality, and another injured a person.
Timothy J. Duvall, 33, of Bee Spring, was killed when a dump truck he was driving was involved in a crash with a train operated by CSX railroad. He had just left Park City Stone, a nearby rock quarry.
“You cannot put a price on a life,” said Barren County Judge/Executive Micheal Hale. “Hopefully what we will do will prevent those accidents from happening in the future.”
The contract with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet outlines a partnership with the Barren Fiscal Court to install a railroad crossing warning sign, two “STOP AHEAD” signs along the westbound approach, a “STOP” sign on the left-hand side of the road at the crossing and a “RR XING” pavement marking, according to the contract.
Because State Quarry Road is maintained by the county government, the cost incurred to install the signage and pavement markings will be paid by the Barren Fiscal Court. It will cost $748.48.
Hale said he was involved in a meeting at the rail crossing on Sept. 21 with representatives from local emergency management, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet and the owner of Park City Stone. The KYTC, who organized the meeting, agreed in that meeting to install equipment if the county paid for it.
“Signs are useless, you know,” said Kenneth Sartin, the magistrate for Barren County’s sixth district where the crossing is located.
Sartin voted to purchase the signage and pavement markings, however. When asked why he voted in favor despite his belief of the signage’s ineffectiveness, he said “that was the judge’s deal.” He went on to describe how he was not invited to the meeting at the crossing though it is in his “damn district.” Ronnie Stinson, the Park City Fire chief and incoming magistrate for District 6, was in attendance, however.
Other magistrates expressed interested in “looking into” the installation of crossarms at the crossing. As it was Wednesday, the contract did not include plans for those.
The signage is expected to be installed by Friday, Sept. 30. Pavement markings will be added once the materials are delivered.