If traffic into Beech Bend Park’s high-profile events moves next year as smoothly as a Beech Bend Road widening plan moved Friday through Warren County Fiscal Court, Josh Moore will be a happy man.

Moore, Warren County public works director, played a key role in developing a plan to widen a 1,650-foot section of Beech Bend Road as a way to ease traffic congestion during popular events such as the Holley LS Fest held each September.

That plan moved forward Friday when all six magistrates voted to accept the $351,820 bid from Scotty’s Contracting and Stone to add 5.5 feet to each side of the road from Garvin Lane to Beech Bend Park Road, creating two lanes into the park and a dedicated way out on Garvin Lane.

“Those 1,650 feet will make a very large impact on those very large events at Beech Bend,” Moore said. “This will eliminate the backup for 80 percent of the events held at the park.

“My hope is that by coordinating with law enforcement, we’ll see a reduction in wait times from five hours or so down to about two hours for the big events. I expect a backup, but I don’t want to see it for hours.”

Neither does Bill Tichenor, marketing director for Holley Performance Products.

Speaking at the fiscal court meeting, Tichenor pointed out that the Holley LS Fest grew from 25,000 visitors to 35,000 in a single year.

“It was mayhem this year,” Tichenor said. “Some people went home (because of the traffic issues). It gave Holley and Beech Bend a black eye.”

With help from the professional traffic and safety personnel he has hired in the past, Tichenor believes the road-widening plan will ease congestion.

“I think this is the most cost-effective way to do it,” he said. “You’re effectively doubling the amount of cars you can get into Beech Bend.”

And that’s important, said Bowling Green Area Convention and Visitors Bureau Executive Director Sherry Murphy, because Beech Bend is an important engine powering Bowling Green’s tourism industry.

“The impact Beech Bend has on our community is huge,” Murphy said. “Millions of dollars are spent in our community as a result of the events held there.

“Right now, the park’s reputation is very favorable; but if we can’t solve the traffic problems, we will lose that. This plan is the least obtrusive and the least expensive.”

The road-widening plan isn’t popular with all residents along the road, but the magistrates and Judge-Executive Mike Buchanon see it as the most cost-effective plan for easing congestion.

“To do nothing is not prudent,” said Sixth District Magistrate Ron Cummings, who made the motion to accept the bid.

Buchanon, who said improvements to the 2.75-mile-long Beech Bend Road have been talked about for years, admitted that he had a different plan in mind originally.

“My idea was to widen Beech Bend Road from start to finish,” he said. “Originally, I didn’t think this particular plan would work, but now I think it provides for the greatest amount of traffic flow and the least intrusion into people’s lives.”

The widening, which Moore hopes to see completed by next spring, will come at a modest cost to the county budget, although it’s more than original estimates.

Moore first thought the $252,500 Warren County is receiving in state discretionary road funding would be enough to pay for the project, but the Scotty’s bid leaves $99,320 to be picked up by the county’s general fund.

He said that amount could be reduced by $30,000 or so because utility costs aren’t expected to be as high as what was projected in the bid. The bottom line of less than $70,000 out of the county budget looks like a bargain to Moore.

“Where else can you make a road improvement for that kind of money?” he said.

Some people living along Beech Bend Road don’t agree.

Characterizing the widening plan as “ill-advised” and “a waste of taxpayer dollars,” Beech Bend Road resident Kenneth Deputy believes the plan to improve the road needs more study.

“I don’t think this will solve the problem,” Deputy said. “It’s backed up on one lane and now you’re adding a second lane that will also be backed up. It doesn’t make sense that it will solve anything.”

Moore and Buchanon met earlier this week with Beech Bend-area residents who had concerns, and one of those came away feeling better about the plan that was approved Friday.

“I appreciate Judge Buchanon giving us an opportunity to express our concerns,” Tad Donnelly said. “I think they have a good plan. I feel good that all the stakeholders involved are communicating and coordinating.

“Beech Bend has done an incredible job in the community, and I want them to be successful.”

Another resident of the Beech Bend area, Tom Reynolds, said improvements to Beech Bend Road aren’t what’s needed.

“I don’t know what the full details are,” Reynolds said, “but the problem, I think, is inside the park.”

Moore has heard that argument and said Friday: “It’s possible to still make some improvements inside the park, but this is a first step that had to happen. We will continue to plan and talk.”

In other action taken at Friday’s meeting, the magistrates approved spending $3,875 (covered by insurance) to C & P Construction Company for stonework and drywall repair at the Warren County Justice Center that was needed after a car ran into the building.

They also approved spending $1,525 to Patterson & Westbrook for electrical power installation at the new outdoor warning siren at Mt. Pleasant Church on Ky. 185.

Warren County Drug Task Force Director Tommy Loving reported that the task force is using federal High Intensity Drug Trafficking program funds to purchase two camcorders at a total cost of $2,040.