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Pike County court authorizes major drainage work on Rocky Road, approves purchase of 5-foot drainpipe
Summary
Pike County Fiscal Court authorized a plan to reroute and replace collapsed drains beneath Rocky Road and Bridal Street, approved buying 5-foot smooth-bore pipe and will seek easements from affected homeowners; officials estimated material costs in the low hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Pike County Fiscal Court on July 15 authorized immediate work to repair a collapsed drainage line that has been sending water under a Rocky Road home and flooding nearby yards. Judge Jones moved to authorize Fabian, the county public-works official, to purchase the specified 5-foot smooth-bore HDEP drainpipe and proceed with the proposed reroute and repairs; the motion was seconded and approved by roll call.
The problem surfaced after excavation revealed a galvanized drain running under a private house, officials said. Fabian and other county staff described a plan to run a new 5-foot drain down the middle of Rocky Road and out to the river, obtain easements from two property owners and restore the road surface after installation.
Fabian described the chosen design as intentionally oversized to reduce clogging: the HDEP pipe is a “smooth bore” that “should flush itself out a lot easier than these corrugated pipe” currently in place, the court heard. Judge Jones told residents the county would need to dig through the road and that work would cause temporary inconvenience, but he said the project was necessary because the existing drains have collapsed.
County staff gave preliminary cost estimates to the court. Judge Jones said it would “probably cost a couple $100,000 to fix it,” and staff later estimated roughly $150,000 in materials and about $50,000 to repave approximately 800 feet of blacktop — figures the court presented as order-of-magnitude estimates subject to confirmation when bids and delivery times are known. The court also noted potential additional costs for equipment and labor.
The court emphasized practical next steps: staff will prepare easement paperwork for the property owners who must grant the county the right to install and maintain the pipe, call utility-locator services (811) before digging, and proceed once the drain material arrives. Judge Jones asked staff to notify the homeowners about scheduling so they can be present to sign required documents.
The vote to authorize the purchase and proceed passed with the members present supporting the action. County staff said they would move quickly to secure pipe deliveries and begin work as soon as logistics and required clearances are arranged.
