The following news story was written by the news department of WHVE -FM 92.7.

COLUMBIA, March 7, 1997-A group of about 100 people met last night in the community room of the Adair County Courthouse Annex to discuss possible alternative routes for the proposed Columbia Bypass. The meeting was intended to help reconcile differences of opinion in the proposed location of the bypass before state transportation officials meet with Adair County officials within the next couple of months.

The proposed bypass for Columbia was put in the state's six year plan under former Judge Executive Richard Lee Walker's administration, and now looks as though it could become a reality.

The bypass, under the current plan would intersect Highway 55 North, follow Henson's Bottom to Long Hunter's's Subdivision and continue to take a course by the new Adair County High School, then follow Petty's Fork Creek to Highway 61 South just out side the city limits of Columbia with an intersection to the Cumberland Parkway. The major differences of opinion appear to be with the ending stretch of the current proposed plan. Several proponents feel that it is too shortsighted and that it should intersect with the Cumberland Parkway at the Highway 61 overpass with a cloverleaf access to the parkway.

When asked if the state's proposed plan was concrete, Mayor Curtis Hardwick replied that there wasn't any official notification in writing, but that the state was leaning toward the current plan. He went on to say that surveying has already been done in those areas. Other considerations under the alternate route would be the additional cost. A cloverleaf could add about two million dollars to the cost.