By BILL MARDIS, Editor Emeritus
Somerset Mayor Eddie Girdler said he has directed all city departments not to encourage growth along I-66 and bypass intersections to the detriment of businesses along U.S. 27.
Girdler revealed his action after being told that Cumberland Parkway, realigned into a northern bypass of Somerset, and the southwestern by-pass would be complete early this fall. The new section of Cumberland Parkway is being built to interstate (I-66) specific-ations with only two Somerset exits directly off the parkway, one at the southwestern bypass intersection and one at U.S. 27 two miles north of the city.
Girdler fears new businesses that would likely develop at bypass intersections would be at the expense of existing businesses along U.S. 27.
“U.S. 27 is Somerset,” the mayor declared. “It doesn’t make sense ... to move jobs and businesses from one area to another,” Girdler said. He said population in major cities is sufficient to sustain existing businesses away from interstate intersections “ ... but growth to accommodate (existing businesses) is not here.”
Girdler said Somerset’s main business district is unique in that it has developed along U.S. 27. He said there is concern that the interstate characteristics of the northern bypass would funnel east-west traffic past Somerset’s business district, or that new businesses might develop at interchanges and take customers from existing businesses along U.S. 27.
“It’s just not going to happen while I’m mayor of Somerset,” Girdler vowed. He said business growth at new highway intersections outside the city could be limited by not extending natural gas and sewer lines to prospective facilities along highway interchanges. He said permits could be denied in certain cases.
Girdler and City Engineer Alex Godsey expressed concern about new highway configurations early on to Highway Department officials. However, the projects were too far along at that point to change “... and we were not sure any changes could be made,” Girdler commented.
When the northern and southwestern bypasses open, a half-mile of Cumberland Parkway from near the southwestern bypass intersection west to Fishing Creek will be “abandoned” by the Transportation Cabinet “... because it just doesn’t go anywhere,” according to Highway Department engineers. Grade elevations make it too expensive to construct an interchange near Fishing Creek to funnel traffic off the realigned Cumberland Parkway onto the section of the parkway to be closed.
