WQXE News

Excavation and ground clearing work has begun on the new connector between U.S. 31-W and Kentucky Route 218 in Horse Cave.

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet says the connector will help relieve issues with truck traffic at the intersection between the two roads in downtown Horse Cave and the adjacent KY 218 railroad crossing. The connector will also provide better access to and from Interstate 65 and industrial facilities, will reduce the potential for railroad crossing collisions, and will reduce wear and tear on existing streets.

“With that connector being a new route, there really won’t be continual impacts to traffic through there, so that’s good news for folks traveling on KY 218 and 31-W,” said KYTC District Four Public Information Officer Chris Jessie. “There will be intermittent impacts to KY 335 traffic through there. That’s where most of the construction vehicles will be entering and exiting. It’s going to take this year and next year to get it complete, but when it’s all said and done, it’s going to be a lot better in downtown Horse Cave, getting that heavy truck traffic out of that area.”

Scotty’s Contracting and Stone LLC was awarded the $8.85 million contract for the project in January. The completion date specified in the contract is June 30, 2025.

Hardin County Water District No. 2 is cautioning customers about using a third party to make bill payments.

“We just want to caution customers to make sure that they know whose website they’re on when they try to make a payment,” said HCWD No. 2 General Manager Shaun Youravich. 

Doxo is a third party website and is not affiliated with the water district, but when you search the water district online the Doxo website pops up with wording that customers might take to mean implies a direct link to the water district.

Because a payment through Doxo is not a direct payment, the water district may not receive your payment quickly, which can result in frustration and fees for customers.

“We may not see the payment for seven to ten days, if at all,” Youravich said. “So yes, a customer could be subject to disconnect for non-payment if that payment shows up after the due date.”

The water district says many utilities nationwide have issued similar warnings. Youravich reminds customers that going direct is your best bet.

“We certainly encourage customers to make sure that they go directly to our website if they’re trying to make a payment online, but the best option is through ACH, where the payment is automatically drafted,” Youravich said.

Contact Hardin County Water District No. 2 for more information.