The water mains under Fontaine Road have been replaced. On September 11, 2026, Kentucky American Water announced that its work in the North Limestone, Euclid and Fontaine areas was complete. The release said the City of Lexington would handle final restoration and paving on Fontaine. A week later the city said milling was wrapping up and paving would start that Friday, with completion targeted for Tuesday, September 22, or Wednesday, September 23, weather permitting. No public notice since then has confirmed that the paving finished on that schedule. For anyone who drives between Chinoe and High, the new surface is the only update that counts.
The year behind that pavement is worth understanding, because it shows something about Ashland Park's streets that stays hidden when nothing is being dug up. Lexington owns Fontaine Road. The pipe under it belongs to a utility the city does not regulate. For more than a year, City Hall's main leverage over the pace of work was the clock.
A Street With Two Owners
The project traces back to August 22, 2025. That day, Kentucky American Water announced it would replace aging cast-iron mains with ductile-iron pipe under its Qualified Infrastructure Program. The utility said the goals were reliability, fewer service interruptions and maintained or improved water quality. The route covered Fontaine Road between Chinoe Road and High Street, Euclid Avenue between High Street and South Ashland Avenue, and Devine Avenue, Walton Avenue, Warwick Court and Wilderness Road. The announcement priced the whole package at approximately $4.5 million. It gave no separate figure for Fontaine.
The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government records a Fontaine permit start date of August 1, 2025, but lists the actual construction start as unknown. The utility describes the start simply as summer 2025.
The division of responsibility is the key to everything that followed. The Herald-Leader put it plainly in August: the city has little control over Kentucky American Water, which is regulated primarily by the state's Public Service Commission. Even the closing sequence split along those lines, with one contractor working for both sides.
| Segment | Final paving handled by | Contractor | Schedule as announced |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fontaine Road | City of Lexington | ATS Construction, working for the city | Paving from Sept. 18, target finish Sept. 22 or 23 |
| Euclid Avenue and High Street | Kentucky American Water, at the city's request | ATS Construction, working for Kentucky American Water | Overnight closures Sept. 30 through 6 a.m. Oct. 5 |
The Clock as Leverage
With little direct control, the city worked through public pressure and work hours. On May 1, 2026, Mayor Linda Gorton urged utilities to speed up work that had left High Street and Fontaine Road in poor condition. By then Columbia Gas had finished its work. Kentucky American Water was still working and had given no completion estimate.
By August, the dispute was about the schedule itself. Kentucky American Water was allowed to work from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m., Monday through Saturday. The company asked to add the 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. window, which covers the road's peak travel hours. Gorton said she would agree if the utility held a public meeting and committed to a firm end date. Her statement described the reply she got:
"I have called the president of Kentucky American and, rather than setting a face-to-face meeting with Chevy Chase neighbors as I requested, he said they are planning to distribute information through doorhangers or sticky notes to people who are directly affected by the project. That does not give neighbors an opportunity to ask questions."
The utility answered that it had attended a neighborhood association meeting before construction began and had given property owners along the route the names and cellphone numbers of project supervisors. It also said it had to follow the city's permitted hours strictly, while Lexington allows its own utility crews much more flexibility. Both statements describe the same arrangement. The hours were the one part of the job the city could approve or deny, so that is where the negotiation happened.
Where the Dates Diverged
The question of when the work was supposed to end was never settled between the two sides. Their accounts, in order:
- Mayor's office, August 5, 2026: the Fontaine water line replacement was supposed to be finished in September 2025.
- Kentucky American Water, same evening: "This important and comprehensive project was always intended to be completed in 2026." The company told the city it expected to finish in September but did not set a firm end date.
- City complaint, August 28: a contractor was terminated in March and not replaced for weeks. The complaint also alleges that resources were moved out of Fayette County.
- Utility's answer, September 8: a replacement Fontaine contractor was secured within three hours of notice on April 22. The utility denies directing any contractor away from the project.
There was also a problem on Fontaine itself. In late July, a Facebook post that was later deleted said the work had broken sewer lines serving two homes. Kentucky American Water said it found and fixed the issues "promptly" and was checking private sewer lines on other properties in the project area that might have been affected. The city's complaint describes the incident differently, as a contractor damaging a sanitary sewer line that LFUCG repaired.
What It Looked Like on Euclid
The Euclid Avenue section, a few blocks over, showed what the long timeline meant for businesses. In late August, WKYT spoke with several of them. A manager at Bear and the Butcher objected to road closures during busy hours. A co-owner of Bourbon n' Toulouse raised concerns about gravel-filled sidewalks as an accessibility hazard. The owner of Spice and Tea Merchants said what they wanted most was an end date. The Herald-Leader reported that Bourbon n' Toulouse and the Chevy Chase Inn next door were among the businesses with gravel-filled sidewalk sections and wheelchair-access problems out front. Kentucky American Water said concrete work was underway but gave no date for final sidewalk restoration.
WKYT also reported that the company had replaced more than 4,000 feet of aging main in the area. That figure covers the whole area and does not break out Fontaine.
Euclid is the last piece to close. The city's schedule called for overnight work at the Euclid and High intersection on September 30 and October 1. A full closure was set to run from 8 p.m. Friday, October 2, to 6 a.m. Monday, October 5, covering the Euclid and Ashland intersection and Euclid between South Ashland Avenue and High Street. The city described this paving as completing "a project that began last year to replace the water main." As of this weekend, that closure is still on the schedule, and the city recommends checking navigation apps for current closures.
The Part Still Open
New pavement ends the construction, but the jurisdiction question has moved to Frankfort. On August 28, 2026, Lexington filed a complaint with the Public Service Commission alleging unreasonable construction and restoration practices. The commission docketed it as case 2026-00249. The complaint asks the commission to order written construction and repair policies, including communication with local officials. It also asks the commission to disallow, in rate cases, costs caused by inadequate construction policies, and to open an investigation that could include a management and operational audit. Kentucky-American Water's September 8 answer denies the allegations, says the projects are complete or nearly complete, and asks the commission to dismiss the complaint. As of early October, the case filings page lists that answer as the most recent filing and shows no order or ruling.
The complaint reaches past Fontaine. It asks for written construction and repair policies that would govern how Kentucky American Water works on Lexington streets going forward, not only on this job. The utility says the new mains will serve the area for decades to come. The rules for the next dig are being argued in a docket that is still open.
Owning an older home near Fontaine or Euclid means living with infrastructure few people think about until it's dug up. If you are weighing how a year like this one, or the next one, affects a house you care about, the team at Horse & Home Estates is glad to talk it through. Request a Concierge Consultation.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.
