Olivet Road Project Moving Forward

The McCracken County Fiscal Court and Paducah City Commission passed resolutions Tuesday night to authorize a project to broaden Olivet Church Road.
 
The project has been a point of contention between the city and county for nearly seven months. At Tuesday night’s meeting in City Commission Chambers, the groups convened in executive session for nearly an hour and a half to address concerns related to the project.
 
The concept design will expand Olivet Church Road to five lanes between Cairo Road and a future access road near Kentucky Oaks Mall off Hinkleville Road. The access road will connect to New Holt Road, Changing the busy U.S. 60 intersection at the Mall.
 
Construction was slated to begin this year, but the Fiscal Court has contested the construction of the access road due to added congestion and how it would affect local property owners. Tuesday's agreement makes moving forward with the project a possibility.
 
City Manager Jeff Pederson told the Paducah Sun the city is still negotiating with Concord Avenue property owner Kenneth Owens. According to records, Owens is the only land owner in the proposed construction area who has not settled with the city. Owens has offered to sell his property, which was appraised at $175,000, to the city for $1 million.

Pederson said that negotiations are ongoing.