No simple solution to Keightly Road problems

Wednesday, June 22, 2016
The most gaping of several potholes that mar Keightly Road sits at the back exit of Putnam County Jail parking lot. Just steps from the inmate workers who could repair the hole, it remains unfixed until liability questions are answered.

A half-mile stretch of road on the south side of Greencastle has city and county officials scratching their heads.

Keightly Road, which runs from U.S. 231 in front of the Putnam County Jail west to Cemetery Road, is in poor shape by any measure.

Running west from the south side of the jail, the road is marked with large potholes, some of them dominating half of the narrow, two-lane roadway.

Frequent travelers on the road know to stop and wait their turn when meeting an oncoming car in these more treacherous spots.

Everyone agrees the pavement needs to be fixed. The question has been: Who should be doing the fixing?

Initially it appeared to be a question of whether Keightly is a city street or a county road.

In the end, a third answer has emerged. Keightly Road is not a road at all.

"It's a driveway," County Attorney Jim Ensley told the Putnam County Commissioners on Monday. "It's not a county road."

Plat records indicate this to be the case.

Starting at U.S. 231, the stretch of the road that runs due west next to the McClure gas station is owned first by Vectren Corp., then by Dino-Stor Storage, which own the two properties north of the road.

From the point at which the road turns south in front of the jail, it is owned by the Putnam County Jail Building Corporation. County ownership continues when the road turns west and winds its way south of the jail and a couple of businesses west of the jail.

The westernmost part of the road near Cemetery Road is owned by the City of Greencastle.

Debates exist over the exact origin of Keightly as a paved road, but it seems that both the city and the county have cared for portions of it over the years.

The most troublesome portion of the road is the part owned by the jail corporation, leaving it up to the county to repair this stretch, much like the city recently did with the western section of road.

On Monday, Sheriff Scott Stockton presented a proposal to the commissioners to fix the road. Under this plan, the Putnam County Highway Department would provide the asphalt mix and the sheriff's department would provide inmate laborers to fill the holes.

This plan seemed to be gaining traction when the question of liability came up.

"Somebody needs to check into whether our insurance is aware that it's not being used as a driveway -- it's being used as a thoroughfare," Ensley said.

Commissioner David Berry echoed these sentiments.

"When we expend county funds, do we assume liability?" Berry asked. "I'm not opposed to filling the holes. I'm just looking out for county liability long-term."

Berry said he planned to meet with Greencastle Mayor Bill Dory later in the week and discuss this and other matters.

While the discussion continues, the potholes remain.

"In the meantime, there's a couple of Hyundais in a couple of those holes," Commissioner Rick Woodall said.

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  • Just fix the **** road.

    -- Posted by canttakeitanymore on Thu, Jun 23, 2016, at 2:11 PM
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