Volume 2 | Issue 35
January 29 2016
THE KENTUCKY
TIMES
ENGINEERING EDITION
The legislature is in full swing. The filing deadline for seats
in the General Assembly occurred this week and a flood
of new bills were filed. To keep up with bills of interest
to our profession, please refer to the weekly Legislative
Session Bill Watch Alert that was sent to you in a separate
communication.
LEGISLATIVE
Reception
Each even-numbered year corresponds to the long session
of the General Assembly. It is in these even-numbered years
that we team with the Kentucky Association of Highway
Contractors (KAHC) to sponsor a legislative reception. It is
an opportunity to mingle with our elected members of the
General Assembly in a less hectic setting than that of the
Capitol. This year, the legislative reception is scheduled for
February 17, 2016 at the Capital Plaza Hotel from 5:00 PM
to 7:00 PM.
This has always been an important gathering for ACEC-KY
members because the acts of the General Assembly can have
a profound impact on the engineering business climate in
Kentucky.
Contact us here at the Kentucky Engineering Center if
you would like to attend so that we can make the proper
preparations. Please take the time to personally invite your
legislators to attend. They may or may not respond to our
invitation from the Kentucky Engineering Center, but an
invitation from a constituent is often the “push” we need to
get them there.
Proposed Changes
to ms4 Regulations
by Epa
On January 6, 2016, the Federal Register provided notice of
EPA’s proposed changes to the regulations governing small
Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) permits.
January 2016
These changes are proposed in response to a remand from
the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
For those firms that advise municipal clients on MS4
matters, you’ll want to make sure to familiarize yourself
with the proposed changes. You may also comment on
these proposed changes. The deadline for comments is
March 21, 2016.
The Federal Register Notice can be found at:
http://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2016-01/
documents/proposed_ms4_remand_rule_fed_reg_
notice_010616.pdf.
Governor Bevin
Submits 2016-2022
Recommended
Highway Plan to
General Assembly
FRANKFORT, Ky. (Jan. 27, 2016) –Against the backdrop
of depleted Road Fund revenues and the need to extend
the life-cycle of aging infrastructure, Governor Matt Bevin
today submitted his 2016-2022 Recommended Highway
Plan to members of the General Assembly.
“This plan provides a common sense approach to
prioritizing our infrastructure needs over the next few
years,” said Gov. Bevin. “We must be accountable to our
citizens by investing in transportation projects that
promote safety and economic opportunity.”
The Plan, if enacted, includes $6 billion in state and
federal funds to address the critical transportation needs
across the state. This budget cycle, however, lawmakers
will have nearly $1 billion less to work with over the next
six years. Due in part to declining gas prices, less money
from a reduction in Road Fund receipts will be available to
lawmakers to spend on projects.
THE KENTUCKY TIMES | 1
THE KENTUCKY TIMES
During the State of the Commonwealth address on
Tuesday, Gov. Bevin reaffirmed his commitment to
providing a safe and reliable transportation network by
shoring up funds to fix Kentucky’s aging infrastructure—
with an emphasis on bridge preservation.
Bevin noted that for some time now, our bridges have
been ignored, and that the issue must be addressed. In
the Recommended Plan, Bevin calls for no less than 15%
of available state highway dollars to be allocated to the
preservation and maintenance of these structures.
Statewide, the Cabinet is responsible for over 14,000
bridges, some of which are considered structurally deficient
or functionally obsolete. These bridges are safe for traffic,
but require extra maintenance funding, weight limits and
other restrictions to maintain safe travel.
Other highlights from the governor’s Recommended
Highway Plan include:
• Upgrade the William H. Natcher Parkway to interstate
standards in order to establish the “I-565” Spur Route
between Bowling Green and Owensboro
• Widening of I-75 to six lanes in Rockcastle County
• Maintenance and upkeep of the Brent Spence Bridge
while a regional mobility study is performed
• Expand U.S.641 to four lanes from Murray to the
Tennessee state line
• Widen U.S. 421/KY 80 to four lanes in Clay County
DATES TO NOTE
ACEC-KY Events
Legislative Reception
Capital Plaza Hotel - Frankfort, KY
February 17, 2016
5:00 - 7:00 pm
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
OPPORTUNITIES
5th Annual Bridge Seminar Day
Clarion Hotel - Lexington, KY
February 4, 2016
KYTC Basic Traffic Engineering Design
Kentucky Engineering Center - Frankfort, KY
February 10, 2016
Mechanical/Electrical Seminar Day
Hilton Garden Inn - Georgetown, KY
February 17, 2016
Winter Dendrology & Native Tree ID
Bernheim Forest - Clermont, KY
February 25, 2016
Highway Plan Reading
Kentucky Engineering Center - Frankfort, KY
March 1, 2016
The 2016 Recommended Plan also honors prior plan
commitments including the Louisville Bridges project, the
Mountain Parkway expansion project and improvements
along the I-69 corridor in western Kentucky.
InRoads I
Kentucky Engineering Center - Frankfort, KY
March 15 - 18, 2016
The Governor’s plan is online at http://transportation.
ky.gov/Program-Management/Pages/2016-RecommendedHighway-Plan.aspx.
Roadsides Design Guide
Kentucky Engineering Center - Frankfort, KY
March 22-23, 2016
KSPE Annual Convention
Seelbach Hilton - Louisville, KY
April 13 - 15, 2016
REGISTER ONLINE! for these classes & more!
2 | THE KENTUCKY TIMES
January 2016