Located in rural northwestern Kentucky, McLean County is slated to have a new cell tower in place by the end of 2023. Although the project was announced last year, delays kept the 300-foot tower on the drawing board, reports the McLean County News. An influx of funding, courtesy of a $498,900 grant from the Delta Regional Authority (DRA), has put the project back on track.
The new cell tower is set to occupy a spot behind the McLean County Health Department building located off of Kentucky Highway 81. World Tower Company, Inc. won the right to build the tower with their bid of $762,263 in late 2022. Judge-Executive Curtis Dame noted that the construction project will also receive a financial assist from American Rescue Plan Act funding to help pick up costs not covered by the DRA grant.
Dame noted that now that the project is moving forward, progress is being made quickly.
The construction crew has “completed the concrete foundation, the piers for the tower itself,” stated Dame. “It’s going to have a 70-foot fenced compound around the site as well and it will have all the subsequent utilities and backup generator to make sure this facility operates even when the power goes out.”
“It’s going to go up quick,” he added. “They built the base and the support structure for the tower in about three days. The primary objective is to provide wireless internet capability, and I’ve been in talks with AT&T and other providers … that provide wireless internet because Kenergy is building out its fiber-to-the home, but that doesn’t include KU (Kentucky Utilities Companies) customers,” Dame told the News. “With the beauty of the site, it’s right at the edge of KU territory where we can hit some of those houses that may be underserved in the meantime.”
In addition to improving digital connectivity for local residents and visitors, the new cell tower will also benefit emergency service providers in the area. Dame confirmed that the towers would include response repeaters for the different 911 responders on call. “It should give us the best coverage we’ve had up to date for emergency communication,” he added, speculating that with the continued favorable weather, he believes the cell tower could actually be up as early as August.
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