County approves bids to replace bridges on Higdon Loop, Hugh Ice Loop
County Road Engineer Brad Spalding reviews a map with Magistrates Jeff Lear and Bernard Ice.
By JIM BROOKS
Nelson County Gazette / WBRT Radio
Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2017 — Nelson Fiscal Court approved bids to replace county bridges that had been downgraded to handle only passenger car traffic.
The court awarded the contract to replace the bridge on Higdon Loop to Galusha Contracting LLC of Bowling Green. Galusha submitted the low bid, $143,643.
Magistrates Sam Hutchins and Keith Metcalfe listen during Tuesday’s Nelson Fiscal Court meeting.
The court award the contract to replace a bridge on Hugh Ice Loop to Scott & Murphy of Bowling Green for a low bid of $189,890.
Both bridges will use precast beams. County Road Engineer Brad Spalding said the contractors expect to complete replacing both bridges before the end of the year.
The bridge replacements are being funded by 80/20 grants from the state, with the county picking up 20 percent of the replacement costs.
US150 UPDATE. Judge Executive Dean Watts updated the magistrates on the status of the project to replace the bridge over the Bluegrass Parkway on US150 near its intersection with KY 245.
The state will open bids for the project on Oct. 27, Watts said.
In anticipation of the eventual widening of US150, the new bridge will be built to accommodate five lanes. Watts said he would update the court on the project at its November meeting.
LOVE RIDGE CLOSURE. The court gave final approval of the closure of about 900 feet of Love Ridge Road at its intersection with KY 555. The request to close the road came from property owners. During a brief public hearing no one spoke in opposition to the closure.
NELSON COUNTY EMS. The court approved a request from EMS Director Joe Prewitt to advertise for bids to replace one of its ambulances.
Prewitt asked the court to solicit three separate bids — one bid for an existing demonstrator ambulance, one bid for a remount — an heavy duty running chassis that has had an ambulance body added to it — and a bid to remount or move one of the EMS ambulance bodies to a new running chassis.
COMMUNICATIONS. Prewitt asked the court to approve additional funding that is needed for the county’s law enforcement communications system.
The current radio system uses two different radio systems that operate on separate radio frequencies, depending on where the officer is located. The court previously approved a $13,900 expenditure for an upgrade that will allow the radio systems to work together on a single frequency. The two radio systems will be linked together, and the officer’s radios will be automatically picked up by the receiver that can best receive the officer’s transmission.
The additional funding is needed to replace the two repeaters units with ones manufactured by Icom that are more compatible with the new system, Prewitt said. The existing repeater units will be kept as spares if needed for the county’s other radio systems.
The court approved the request for an additional $8,000 for the repeater project.
In other action, Nelson Fiscal Court:
— delayed taking action on a request to authorize issuing $35 million in Industrial Revenue Bonds for Luxco for its distillery operation.
— conducted an executive session regarding the potential hiring of an new deputy sheriff. No action was taken during the closed meeting, and the court took no action when it returned to open session.
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