Leitchfield will soon have a roundabout installed at a major intersection.
Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) District 4 Branch Manager for Construction and Maintenance Bow Warren, and KYTC District 4 Chief District Engineer Brad Bottoms told magistrates at Thursday’s Fiscal Court meeting that a roundabout will be installed next month at the intersection of East Elizabethtown Road (U.S. 62) and the William Thomason Byway, the site of innumerable serious accidents.
K105 first reported the roundabout installation in June 2024.
“Roundabouts, based on our experience, nationwide experience plus what we’ve seen just in E-town and in our (11 county) area, have about an 80 (to) 85 percent reduction in injury accidents over a signalized intersection … They are an effective safety devices, they move traffic very well,” Bottoms told magistrates in 2024.
Bottoms reaffirmed those thoughts on Thursday.
“(We have) 20 roundabouts installed in District 4’s 11 county area, and we’ve seen about an 80 percent reduction in injury and fatality accidents. Still some fender benders, but the bad accidents largely go away,” he told magistrates.
There are also roundabouts slated, at this point, for the intersection of the byway and Salt River Road, and the byway and Grayson Springs Road. Both of those intersections have experienced multiple injury and fatality accidents, particularly the intersection of the byway and Salt River Road.
Additionally, when the byway extension project is complete, a roundabout will be installed at the intersection of the extended byway and U.S. 62 (Beaver Dam Rd.).
To learn more about roundabouts, click here.
Roadway resurfacing, pavement repair locations
Nearly $2 million in resurfacing and pavement repairs as well as routine maintenance are scheduled to take place in Grayson County over the coming months.
Asphalt resurfacing will occur at the following locations:
- Grayson Springs Road (KY 1214) from the Hart County line to Wax Road (KY 479), a distance of 1.9 miles at a cost of $275,708.
- KY 736 from Falls of Rough Road (Hwy 79) to Beaver Dam Road (U.S. 62), a distance of 2.9 miles at a cost of $319,583.
- KY 2778 from Grayson Springs Road to Hackley Road, a distance of 2.7 miles at a cost of $298,454.
A pavement repair project on KY 878 will cost $10,000.
Routine roadway maintenance will cost $716,000.
Short Creek
Caution lights were installed on Thursday, according to the KYTC, on Falls of Rough Road near the intersection of Owensboro Road (KY 54).
While no final determinations were made, a discussion took place regarding the possibility of rumble strips being installed on Falls of Rough Road at the intersection of Owensboro Road as an accident deterrent.
It is also possible the intersection could be made into a four-way stop.
(Photo: Bow Warren, standing in middle, addresses magistrates regarding roadway repairs at Thursday’s Grayson County Fiscal Court meeting)
By Ken Howlett, News Director
Contact Ken at ken@k105.com
