Based on past missed deadlines, though, mayor says end might not come till mid-September
Henderson Mayor Brad Staton told a packed clubhouse at The Bridges Golf Course Monday evening that the contractor for the Wathen Lane construction has set an Aug. 30 finish date.
But because of the project’s recent history—with contracting company sales, hiccups and delays that have led to its still being under construction after it was initially scheduled to be completed by last December—the mayor said it’s not unreasonable for residents to assume the road won’t be complete until mid-September while still hoping Hinkle Contracting Company can finish by its new deadline.
Both Staton and Assistant City Manager Buzzy Newman, who were both on hand to give the updates, agreed with riled residents that the project has not gone well.
“None of us (at the city) are happy about it,” Staton said.
Newman put the project in the top three worst he’s ever been a part of after questioning from a resident who said, “This entire thing has been really poorly managed.”
Representatives from Hinkle did not attend.
Both city officials discussed topics surrounding the construction, and Newman gave a brief outline of the remaining work, according to information he received from Hinkle on Monday, before the project is considered “substantially complete.”
On Tuesday and Wednesday this week, crews were scheduled to complete milling on the roadway, Newman said. Flaggers will be there to direct traffic.
Starting Thursday and going through Aug. 27, crews are scheduled to finish the multi-use path, Newman said.
Then, Aug. 28-30, crews will complete final surface work and striping on the road, he said. Once that is done, the project is labeled “substantially complete.” There will be a punch list of ancillary pieces that Hinkle will then have 90 days to complete, Newman said.
Audience input and questions
After the initial overview and work schedule was shared, Staton and Newman took questions and comments from those in attendance.
Responding to a question from a resident about the “shoddy” space between the current walking path and the curb, Newman said the city will take on the mowing of that space while also several feet on the other side of the curb abutting neighbors’ properties.
Newman also warned residents that once the roadway is complete, motorists using it for a cut-through to get to Evansville will treat it as a “speedway.” The city will place digital radar devices on speed limit signs to deter speeding.
The assistant city manager said that the speed limit for the road will be 45 miles per hour. Later in the meeting, a resident said she has proof that the speed limit in the past was 40 miles per hour. Newman said the road is built to standards allowing a 45-miles-per-hour limit.
Staton also said a reasonable weight limit will be imposed so that tractor-trailers and other large vehicles don’t use Wathen Lane as a cut-through.
Another resident asked about the city performing a project review once construction is complete so similar failures don’t occur during future projects. Staton responded that his big concern in the span of the project has been communication with the nearby residents. He mentioned a new initiative found on the city’s website in which notifications will be sent out about projects.
The new communication can be found by going to hendersonky.gov and hovering over the “Living Here” tab and then clicking on “Construction Updates.”
The mayor also said officials will sit down and discuss positives and negatives of the Wathen Lane project, as well as changes they’d like to see in future construction.
Another questioner asked about lighting the multi-use path, and Staton also asked residents if they wanted lighting for Wathen Lane. Some who lived on Wathen Lane didn’t want the street lighting, according to Staton, because they don’t want the light coming into their homes. The mayor said directional lighting, which keeps the light on the street, is a possibility. He said lighting for the multi-use path is also being looked at.
Another piece of the saga is the fine per day that has been levied against Hinkle. According to the contract that Hinkle took over last year, for every calendar day the project runs over the initial Dec. 15 finish date, the company is fined $700.
According to the Hendersonian’s math, the total now sits at about $173,000. Because the project is funded 80% by federal/state and 20% local, the city will recover 20% of the final tally.
Staton said that money will be used for final bits of the project, unless a dispute over paying for the construction inspection fees, which the city does not want to do, is lost and then the city will use the liquidated costs to pay for that, the mayor said.
Project recent history
The project’s history . One major factor in the project’s extreme tardiness can be blamed on a change of ownership of the contractor—twice. The project’s first start date and timeline was announced in February 2024 with a kickoff meeting in the same clubhouse as Monday’s meeting.
At the time, the contractor was Yager Materials out of Owensboro. During summer 2024, Yager was sold to a European company. Months later, in October, that company was sold and Hinkle took over as contractor, according to a past Hendersonian article.
At that time, city officials believed most of the work would be complete by mid-December, leaving only the placing of the top layers of asphalt on the road to be completed, which they hoped would only take a couple of days during the spring.
The work again was delayed in the spring, however, when engineers found a sink hole between the entrances of Braxton Park and Wolf Hills. Shoring that up caused more delays. In the same time frame and after, one of the wettest springs in recent memory caused even more delays, Staton said.
In May, Staton and City Commissioner Nick Whitt, as well as Public Relations Director Holli Blanford, went door-to-door in the nearby neighborhoods handing out fliers that said the work would be complete by mid-August.
Mid-August passed last week, leaving officials and nearby residents exasperated again.
One couple, who lives nearby and declined to give their names, told the Hendersonian, “It’s been an exhausting adventure.”
