Abstract

The Freight Movement and Intermodal Access in Kentucky Study (SPR 98-189) is being conducted on behalf of the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC). There are two major objectives of the study: evaluation of the access for trucks between intermodal or other truck generating sites and the National Highway System (NHS); and furthering the understanding of freight commodity flows throughout the state. This report summarizes the access evaluation for several facilities located in Henderson County in the Green River Area Development District (ADD) and KYTC Highway District# 2. The locations of the sites are shown in Figure 1. Work on other specific sites as well as the freight commodity flow task are on-going and are documented elsewhere.

The sites to be evaluated were selected from two existing databases (a truck facility survey from 1994 and the intermodal facility inventory) based on ADD and KYTC Highway District planner recommendations, geographic location, distance to the national highway system, and the number of trucks accessing the site. Consideration was also made for the freight type handled and transportation modes used. The Henderson County industrial area was recommended by the West Kentucky Corporation.

The initial site visit, facility identification, photographs, and videotaping was conducted on February 27, 1998. Data collection was conducted on three additional dates (July 9, September 29, and November 5, 1998). The following facilities are located in the area: Airgas, Consolidated Grain and Barge, Custom Resins, David Joseph Co., Henderson County Port Authority, Henderson Materials, Henderson Riverport, Henderson Terminaling, IMC Agrico, Millstone, Owensboro Grain, PB & S Chemical Co., Scott Mfg., Unison, and Valley Grain. Most of the facilities are located on Industrial Park Road and Riverport Road off KY 136. The surrounding area is at the edge of Henderson but is generally of a rural character.

A phone survey of a sample of the facility managers was conducted early in the study process. The phone survey did not include all the sites in the cluster so a traffic count was used to obtain the truck volume. Traffic counts for a 24-hour period taken in 1998 by KYTC found 602 trucks (8.4 percent of all vehicles) on KY 425 so this volume was used as a basis of estimating truck volume on the various roads. Truck volume counts were not available for the section of KY 136 used by the trucks but a 24-hour truck volume count of 350 was obtained for the major side road. These counts were used to estimate the volumes on the various roads. The site trucks are generally semi-tractor trailers. They were typically five axle trucks with a maximum 45-foot trailer. The phone survey information can be found in Appendix A.

Report Date

2-1999

Report Number

KTC-99-10

Digital Object Identifier

http://dx.doi.org/10.13023/KTC.RR.1999.10

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