You Asked: What is being built on Coffee Tree Road?

1/2 Swipe or click to see more A $2.7 million state-of-the-art Drivers' Skill Pad for the Kentucky State Police's training academy is being built on Coffee Tree Road. (Chanda Veno/State Journal) 2/2 Swipe or click to see more (Photo submitted) Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... A large construction project is underway between the Kentucky State Police training facility and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial off the East-West Connector. Ground was broken last fall for what will be a state-of-the-art Drivers' Skill Pad for the Kentucky State Police's training academy. The $2.7 million facility will provide law enforcement and cadets with a dedicated space to safely practice and refine advanced driving techniques. For example, the professionally engineered, paved driving course will provide a controlled environment for troopers, officers, and cadets to master vehicle operations such as high-speed pursuits, pursuit intervention techniques, evasive maneuvers, and emergency response driving with lights and sirens, according to a press release. Currently, KSP uses borrowed facilities across Kentucky and in neighboring states for the training it will soon be able to do year-round in Frankfort. Additionally, the new Drivers' Skill Pad will be available for other law enforcement agencies to use. 'The Kentucky State Police has lost 37 heroes in the line of duty, with 46% of those being from vehicle-related crashes,' said Kentucky State Police Commissioner Phillip Burnett Jr. 'By providing a dedicated venue for advanced driver training, we are providing our personnel the tools they need to respond safely and effectively to emergencies. More importantly, we believe it will save lives while enhancing public safety.' One of those 37 was KSP Trooper Eric Chrisman, who was killed in a vehicle collision in Livingston County while responding to a reckless driving complaint in June 2015. To stress the importance of safe driving, his parents, Randy and Dawn Chrisman, share their son's story with each cadet class. 'The skills pad will undoubtedly decrease vehicle crashes for troopers and officers,' Randy Chrisman said. 'I don't want another family to experience what we have over the loss of Eric.' The Drivers' Skills Pad was originally expected to be completed by June. However, with construction continuing, no new completion date has been set.