UNION, Ky. — A road expansion project in Union is causing confusion for some homeowners.
The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet plans to expand Frogtown Road, a stretch between U.S. 42 and 25, from two to three lanes. Now, some residents are not sure if their homes will be impacted by the project.
"I’ve got deep roots here — this is where I raised all my kids, my grandkids," said Ken DeMaria, who has lived on Frogtown Road for 50 years. "I've planted every tree in this yard, and they want to take it away from me."
DeMaria said officials told him he would lose his home as a result of the project, which will also include paths on both sides of the road for people to walk and bike.
"All of these houses, they were gonna tear them all down. That was our first inclination," DeMaria said. "Then, they've come up, they haven't given us a definite on what's going to happen."
Travis Reid lives just down the road. He said he was told he'd lose some of his yard.
"We're their brothers and sisters," Reid said. "They're doing this to us, and we've been here invested as Kentuckians forever."
Neighbors said they say they can't get a clear answer on what is going to happen.
"Why? Why are you doing this to us? They're saying it's a safety issue, but why?" DeMaria said.
KYTC said there has been an increase in traffic in the area as Union continues to grow. The project will cost about $80 million for the approximately three-mile stretch of road.
"It's all a secret," DeMaria said. "We're not going to find out until they already have the funding going through and it’s too late."
In a statement, the agency said there are about 15 homes in the project area the state will need to acquire for the project. Partial property acquisition will also be required. The properties outlined in a yellow box here are the properties the state will need to fully acquire.
The District 6 project manager said he's happy to meet with neighbors who have questions or concerns about the project.
KYTC said at this time, there is no public meeting scheduled for the project. However, anyone interested in leaving comments on the project can go to the project website and fill out the online survey.
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