Residents raise concerns about closed state route and local road maintenance; court to follow up

A member of the public and multiple court members on Thursday discussed a state-owned route closed after mining/coal-company activity and ongoing local road maintenance complaints, and the court pledged to follow up with state and private parties.
A resident said the road—closed after Armstrong came through—“remains closed” and described travel and emergency-access impacts for residents, including longer travel for fire departments. The resident said the closed portion was “about 2 miles” and that the state’s bonded project went over budget; the county did not accept the road earlier and the resident asked whether the county could pursue reopening it.
A court member said the state forced the company to bid the work and that the county had been asked in the past to take the road; the court agreed to follow up with the coal company and with Denitra in Madisonville and the county counsel. A commissioner pledged to call both parties “within the next few days” and to report back within a month.
Separately, commissioners noted Cook Lane and other local roads are on the county’s maintenance list; residents remain frustrated that repairs have not yet occurred. Road department officials said the road is on the list and they hope to service it when rock deliveries and equipment are available; they estimated work might be possible in about two weeks if rock is delivered.
The court did not set a formal timetable for reopening the state-owned route but recorded a commitment to pursue conversations with the state, the coal company and county counsel to get more information and a status update.