ELIZABETHTOWN, Ky. (WDRB) -- A traffic headache in Hardin County looks like it will be taking longer than expected to complete — and it may have an impact on the local holiday shopping season.
A construction project on North Dixie Highway in Elizabethtown has been in the planning stages for more than a decade. But now that it’s officially underway, some bumps in the road are delaying the project by several weeks.
The ongoing construction underway now is the first of three phases on a 3-mile stretch of Dixie Highway through Elizabethtown's main travel corridor from South Wilson Road to St. John Road.
The first phase began at the end of February and was supposed to be done last week, but wet weather, a shortage of worker, and unforeseen pavements improvements have delayed the completion by at least six weeks.
“The problem is when you have such an intricate project, when one thing starts to maybe get behind, it just kind of domino effects and is amplified down the line,” Chris Jessie, a spokesperson for the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, said.
That means the next phase south might not be completed by the holiday shopping season. KYTC made an agreement with businesses on U.S. 31 West that construction for the winter would be done by Nov. 1 — allowing for easier traffic.
If the second phase can’t be started on time, KYTC will delay the project again until spring so there is no construction in the winter.
Barricades are up and two lanes are currently closed in the southbound lanes.
“Clearly it is a little north of us, we haven’t got the full effect of it yet,” laughed Evan Smith, who works at 44 Auto Market on North Dixie Highway. “I refuse to go north, I refuse. Sit through two or three light changes ... it frustrates you for sure.”
The nearly $14 million dollar project is, as of now, expected to be wrapped up in the fall of 2022.
“When we get this section finished, we’re going to evaluate at that time and then see if it’s wise to progress,” said Jessie.
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