PIKEVILLE, Ky. — Traffic is being slowed by preliminary work to construct a pedestrian tunnel under Route 1426, Bypass Road, from Pikeville Medical Center to the hospital’s Riverfill parking lot.
Work began around 8 Thursday morning and is expected to continue until 6 p.m.
Contractor JigSaw is performing core drilling for the tunnel. JigSaw President Rusty Justice says workers will make an effort to keep two lanes of traffic moving at all times, but it may be occasionally necessary to go down to one lane at times.
“People should be prepared to slow down through the work zone,” Justice said. “We will not impact traffic any more than absolutely necessary, and we do not anticipate stopping traffic at all, except that one lane or the other may have to wait if we have to reduce the flow to one lane at times.”
The 120-foot long pedestrian tunnel will run underneath Bypass Road from the hospital’s parking lot area to the fountain in front of the parking garage. When finished, it will be open to the public as well as hospital employees.