New Barren County Justice Center making progress on construction

GLASGOW, Ky. — Construction of Barren County’s long-awaited justice center is one step closer to becoming a reality.

The project, which has been in development since 2020, is moving forward after the design phase was recently completed. The Commonwealth of Kentucky originally allocated more than $30 million for the facility.

The new center will be located at the intersection of Ford Drive and West Water Street. The site has already been fenced off in preparation for the next phase.

Right now, county officials are working on securing permits and selecting contractors for the job.

While there’s no official start date for construction, Barren County Judge/Executive, Jamie Bewley Byrd, said groundbreaking could begin later this year.

“Maybe we’ll see some construction start in late fall,” Byrd said. “I know it’s a little later than what everyone on the panel had hoped for, but we’re doing our best. We’re actually moving faster than other counties with similar projects. Once construction begins — like Tommy mentioned in our recent meeting — you’re probably looking at a two-year build.”

News 40 will continue to follow this story and provide updates as the project progresses.