As residents of Breathitt, Estill and Lee counties prepare for the annual 50-Mile Yard Sale along KY 52 on Friday and Saturday, July 3-4, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet is urging motorists to use caution during the event.
“This event has really blossomed into a popular attraction,” said Corbett Caudill, chief engineer for District 10, which includes the three counties involved. “We’ve seen a big increase in traffic on the route since the yard sale began. We want to make sure that everyone who participates uses caution to prevent a tragedy.”
The Transportation Cabinet offers the following tips for those who will be attending the KY 52 yard sale, as well as for other motorists who will be traveling in the area over the Independence Day holiday weekend:
Watch out for parked cars, slowed traffic and vehicles turning into or out of side roads and driveways.
Park a safe distance from the highway, preferably outside a 30-foot “recovery zone” extending from the white line on the pavement edge. This area gives motorists plenty of room in which to maneuver in case of trouble. Parking on the shoulder of the road is discouraged.
Watch for pedestrians crossing the road, and especially for children or pets in the area of yard sales.
Use seat belts, obey posted speed limits and other traffic laws, and refrain from drinking and driving.
State law (KRS 177.106) prohibits encroachments on state right of way without a permit, and this includes roadside sales.
“The statute forbids anything that interferes with ‘the safe, convenient and continuous use’ of the highway, and the Transportation Cabinet considers roadside sales on state right of way to fall under this category,” Caudill said. “We want to make sure that the traveling public has the proper amount of sight distance for intersections, driveway entrances and curves. Vendors who set up their sales on the right of way can interfere with the necessary sight distance, as can motorists who park along the shoulders of the road. Therefore, in the interests of safety, we ask that no sales take place on the right of way in accordance with state law.”
There is one active construction project along the route this year. A new bridge is being built on KY 52 in Lee County, near St. Helens. Traffic is reduced to one lane, controlled by temporary signals and routed across a temporary diversion in the construction zone. The project is located near a busy yard sale area, so KYTC personnel plan to adjust the timing of the temporary signals to accommodate traffic in the area.
“Safety is always our primary focus. We hope everyone will wear their seat belts and be on the lookout for bargain hunters who will be on the road and on foot along the yard sale route,” Caudill said.
(story provided by Kentucky Transportation Cabinet)
