US 27

From Department of Highways District 6:

US 27 widening project entering new phase in Campbell County
$26.5 million project funded through American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

COVINGTON, Ky. (Aug. 18, 2009) – The widening of US 27 in Campbell County is about to enter a new phase – construction of a 2.4-mile section from Racetrack Road (KY 824) to just south of Nagle Road.

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A shift of funding to the Louisville Bridge Project could delay dozens of other state road projects: Courier-Journal: Bridges plan could delay 80 state road projects; $789 million in federal funds now targeted for Louisville (Feb. 28, 2006) , Danville Advocate-Messenger: Bridge construction could delay U.S. 27 project in Garrard (Feb. 28, 2006) 

Ownership of the “Purple People Bridge” is closer to being transferred to a not-for-profit organization. The Newport city council recently voted to accept ownership of the bridge from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, and to transfer ownership of the bridge to the not-for-profit Newport Southbank Bridge Company.

More information: Cincinnati Enquirer: Bridge closer to transfer; Commissioners take first vote on turning over ownership of Purple People Bridge (Nov. 2, 2005) 

A not-for-profit organization has raised and spent thousands of dollars to beautify the former L&N Bridge over the Ohio River at Newport; however, plans to transfer ownership of the bridge to Southbank Partners have been delayed. Part of the bridge—the former railroad tracks—is still owned by L&N’s successor corporation CSX Transportation. The road portion of the bridge has been converted to a pedestrian walkway and is owned by Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. Questions over who will pay for the upkeep of parts of the structure have lead to the delay in transferring the state owned portion of the bridge.

More information: Kentucky Post: Span's ownership remains with state; Public-private transfer delayed (Sept. 16, 2005) 

The Cincinnati Enquirer has provided a list of on-going road construction projects in Boone, Campbell, and Kenton Counties: Cincinnati Enquirer: N.Ky. roads: Construction project updates (June 6, 2005) 

A public meeting to discuss the proposed widening of US 27 between KY 34 in Garrard County and US 150 in Lincoln County will be held between 5:00pm and 8:00pm on Tuesday, April 19, 2005 at the Garrard County High School.

More information: Kentucky Transportation Cabinet: Item No. 7-196.00 , Danville Advocate Messenger: State looking at another U.S. 27 widening project (March 25, 2004) 

US 27 from Fayette County to Lincoln County has been targeted for the “Drive Smart” safety program: Danville Advocate Messenger: U.S. 27 corridor selected for safety campaign (Feb. 7, 2005) , Kentucky Transportation Cabinet: Drive Smart 

Work has begun on constructing a new 3.9-mile section of US 27 in Campbell County: Cincinnati Enquirer: Widening needed, reaction cool (Nov. 5, 2004) 

A $100,000 grant from the state government will pay for the repaving of four miles of Flour Creek Road in Pendleton Road. The county owned road has become a major route for trucks traveling between US 27 at Butler and the AA Highway at Foster. Pendleton County will have to pay to pave .3 miles of the road. The entire length of the road between KY 177 and KY 159 will be repaved for the first time in over 15 years.

More information: (Covington) Kentucky Post: Pendleton road to be repaved (Oct. 18, 2004) 

The September 2004 edition of the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet’s newsletter, the Transportation Konnection, has been posted to the KYTC’s web site .

Interesting items in September’s Konnection are:

• Information about “Put the Brakes on Fatalities” day,
• Information about another award for the Paris Pike Project,
• Information about photograph of the ground breaking for Ken Bale Boulevard in Bowling Green,
• Photographs of the reconstruction interchange between the Western Kentucky Parkway and KY 259 near Leitchfield, and
• Photographs from the Simon Kenton Bridge rededication ceremony.

Download: [Transportation Konnection – September 2004] (2MB)

Somerset’s Commonwealth Journal reports that work to realign KY 70 near Eubank has become visible to passing motorists. The realignment project involves the construction of an overpass over the Norfolk Southern Railroad. The new overpass will eliminate a narrow tunnel under the railroad from KY 70’s path. The project is around 25 percent complete and scheduled for completion in spring 2005: Somerset Commonwealth Journal: Realigned KY 70 route becoming clearly visible (July 8, 2004) 

The Commonwealth Journal reports on the status of plans to bypass Somerset. A southeast bypass has been complete for several years, and now plans are set for southwest and northern bypasses. The northern bypass will be part of I-66.

More information: Somerset Commonwealth Journal: Bypass Corridors Set (June 29, 2004) 

Work to widen US 27 north of Somerset will address safety problems at the intersection of KY 70 and US 27 in Eubank: WYMT Mountain News: Road Intersection Needs Improvements (June 16, 2004) 

The US 27 widening project will include an interchange at the future I-66.

The L&N Bridge over the Ohio River will receive beautification improvements on the Ohio side to match the improvements on the Kentucky side. The bridge—which carried both vehicle and rail traffic when it opened in 1872—was closed to traffic in 2001. Trains last used the bridge in 1984. Today, the bridge has been painted purple and is open to pedestrian traffic; due to this it is now locally known as the “Purple People Bridge.”

More information: Cincinnati Post: Bridge beautification funded (March 25, 2004) 

Work to widen part of US 27 in northern Pulaski County is scheduled to begin this summer. The project will include an interchange at the site of the proposed Interstate 66 crossing.

More information: WKYT: Network of New Highways is on the way to southern Kentucky (March 5, 2004) 

The contract for the construction of new Monticello Street has been awarded. Work should begin this year, and construction is expected to take two construction seasons. The new route is meant to funnel traffic from southern Somerset to US 27. The new route will include a four lane bridge over the Norfolk and Southern Railroad line. The bridge will replace the current narrow underpass in the area. The underpass was constructed in 1904.

More information: Somerset Commonwealth Journal: Somerset construction (Feb. 11, 2004) 

The Taylor-Southgate Bridge over the Ohio River at Covington was closed this morning after barge hit one of the bridge’s piers. There was no obvious damage to the barge nor to the bridge; however, the bridge must remain closed until inspectors can survey the bridge. There is no word on how long this process will take.

More information: Cincinnati Post: Taylor-Southgate Bridge closed (Feb. 9, 2004) 

The 2004 federal omnibus spending bill which was approved by the senate last week includes $2 million to continue funding for a study on how to replace the aging I-71/I-75 Brent Spence Bridge across the Ohio River and $1.5 million for a connector route between the AA Highway and I-275.

President Bush must still sign the bill.

More information: Cincinnati Post: Feds OK $2M for Brent Spence (Jan. 27, 2004) , Kentucky Post: $2M targeted to Brent Spence work (Jan. 27, 2004) 

A report from a Transportation Cabinet inspector finds that a modification made to the route of the proposed southwest Somerset bypass was legitimate. Late in the planning, the route was shifted to the west where it would pass through land owned by brothers Doug and Guy Jones, both of whom were officials in the cabinet. The brothers later resigned.

The report finds that the brothers resigned due to other reasons and that the change was a valid change.

More information: Lexington Herald-Leader: Bypass route change legitimate, official says (Dec. 4, 2003) 

The Ohio portion of the L&N Bridge, known as locally as the "Purple People Bridge," will soon received benches and other decoration. Such decorations already adorn the Kentucky portion of the bridge.

More information: Kentucky Post: Bridge upgrades to create park (Nov. 14, 2003) 

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet has scheduled the following public meetings to discuss various road projects in Kentucky:

• September 29 and 30 - Study US 641 in Lyon and Caldwell Counties: KYTC Division of Planning: US 641 
• October 9 - New interchange on I-65 in northern Warren County: KYTC: I-65/US 31W Connector Public Meeting Notice 
• October 9 - New KY 6 connector for Woodbine to Corbin Bypass in Knox and Whitley Counties: KYTC: KY 6 Public Meeting Notice 
• October 21 - Study US 421 in Jackson County: KYTC Division of Planning: US 421 Meeting Announcement 
• October 23 - Eastern Nicholasville Bypass in Jessamine County: KYTC: Eastern Jessamine Public Meeting Notice 
• November 6 - Rock fall correction and flood mitigation on KY 1964 in Woodford County: KYTC: Clifton Road Public Meeting Notice 

More information: Kentucky New Era (Hopkinsville): Public invited to view proposed U.S. 641 plans (Sept. 16, 2003) , Bowling Green Daily News: Interchange Meeting Set (Sept. 26, 2003) 

The National Partnership for Highway Quality awarded its 2003 State Award to the team involved in the Paris Pike Reconstruction Project. Special care to preserve the character of the neighboring land was taken during the project to widen Paris Pike between Lexington and Paris.

More information: KYTC Press Release: Kentucky Highway Team Wins National Quality Award (Sept. 5, 2003) , Ohio Valley Roads: Paris Pike 

Somerset's Commonwealth Journal has posted a review of information presented at a public meeting regarding a new western bypass of Somerset: Somerset Commonwealth Journal: Putting It All Together (Sept. 2, 2003) 

On Thursday, the Transportation Cabinet held a public meeting to discuss plans for a southwestern bypass of Somerset. The plan has been marked by controversy after it was revealed that modifications to the planned route mean that it will pass through land owned by now former Transportation Cabinet employees.

More information: Lexington Herald-Leader: Engineers defend revised bypass route (Aug. 29, 2003) 

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet is currently waiting for the Federal Highway Administration to approve plans to widen US 27 between Camp Nelson and KY 34. Plans to widen the section between KY 34 and Stanford are still in the design phase.

More information: Danville Advocate Messenger: Planning continues on widening U.S. 27 (Aug. 26, 2003) 

On Wednesday, Guy Jones resigned from his politically appointed position in the Transportation Cabinet; Guy Jones and his brother Doug Jones, and cabinet employee, came under investigation after complaints surfaced that the route of Somerset's proposed southwestern by-pass was changed to cross property they owned.

It is also being investigated how Guy Jones managed to balance his transportation cabinet job and another job with the U.S. Postal Service.

More information: Somerset Commonwealth Journal: Oh Brother! (Aug. 8, 2003) 

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet will hold a public meeting to discuss possible routes for both a southwest and a northern bypass of Somerset. The meeting will be held on Aug. 28 at the Center for Rural Development in Somerset.

More information: Lexington Herald-Leader: If You Go (Aug. 8, 2003) 

State investigators are looking into how the proposed southwestern Somerset bypass came to be routed onto land owned by two Transportation Cabinet employees. One of the employees, Doug Jones of the District 8 office, resigned from the cabinet after the investigation was made public.

Doug Jones is also under investigation for accessing pornography using state computers.

More information: Lexington Herald-Leader: Somerset bypass plan questioned (July 31, 2003) , Lexington Herald-Leader: Official resigns after scrutiny over bypass route (Aug. 5, 2003) , Courier-Journal: State transportation official will quit (Aug. 5, 2003) 

A public meeting for I-66 planning in Pulaski and Laurel Counties brought out several anti-I-66 groups. The Transportation Cabinet is conducting a study to determine the route for I-66 between London and Somerset. This will replace the two-lane KY 80, the current major east-west corridor in the region.

Meanwhile, U.S. Congressman Hal Rogers has used his position on the transportation appropriations subcommittee to have money for Southern Kentucky road projects included a draft version of the Fiscal Year 2004 Transportation Appropriations Committee. The money includes $4.5 million for continuing work on designing I-66 in Pulaski and Laurel Counties, $2 million for I-66 in Pike County, $2 million to improve US 27 north of Somerset, $1.5 million for widening I-75 in Rockcastle County, and $1 million to fund the reconstruction of the Hal Rogers Parkway between mileposts 33 and 47 in Leslie County.

More information: Somerset Commonwealth Journal: Controversial Corridor (July 28, 2003) , Somerset Commonwealth Journal: Federal Funding (July 18, 2003) 

The Louisville & Nashville Railroad bridge over the Ohio River has been opened to pedestrian traffic. The bridge has recently been painted purple and has been dubbed the "Purple People Bridge" by local residents. Though it is closed to vehicle traffic, the Kentucky-owned bridge is officially designated as US 27C.

More information: Cincinnati Enquirer: Purple People Bridge links Newport, downtown (April 27, 2003) , Cincinnati-Transit.net: L&N Bridge 

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet has released the final report for the conceptual feasibility study for the Northern Kentucky Outer Loop, and the finding is that such an outer loop is not feasible.

The proposed route would connect with I-74 in Indiana, pass into Kentucky at the Markland Dam in Gallatin County, travel east-west across Kentucky, cross the Ohio River into Ohio at the William H. Harsha bridge near Maysville, and connect with a proposed extension of I-74 in Ohio. A two-year long study of this route found that the entire route would not be financially feasible in Kentucky; however, the study found that several segments of the route would have an independent of utility. The study divided the route into six sections and assigned them the following priorities:

1. US 127 to I-75 - 15.1 miles (Owen and Grant Counties)
2. I-71 to US 127 - 6.8 miles (Gallatin/Carroll and Owen Counties)
3. I-75 to US 27 - 17.6 miles (Grant and Pendleton Counties)
4. US 27 to KY 9 - 29 miles (Pendleton, Bracken, and Mason Counties)
5. Indiana to I-71 - 7 miles (Carroll/Gallatin Counties)
6. KY 9 to Ohio - 2.9 miles (Mason County)

The study found that construction of a proposed highway (Indiana State Road 101) from I-74 in Indiana to the Markland Dam would improve the usability of the Indiana to I-71 segment of the Outer Loop.

The release of the report does not guarantee that anything will be built. Construction is dependent on future funding.

More information: Kentucky Transportation Cabinet Division of Planning: Proposed Interstate 74 

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The Kentucky Post recently posted two columns from Jim Reis looking at the history of the bridges over the Ohio River in Northern Kentucky:

• Kentucky Post: Long fight to bridge the Ohio; Span proposed as early as 1842 (July 14, 2003) 
• Kentucky Post: Late 1800s saw boom in bridge building (July 14, 2003) 

A summer road project in Lexington will see the length of a ramp at New Circle Road and Nicholasville Road been extended by 850 feet and a new left-turn lane added.

More information: Herald-Leader: State plans to end gridlock on busy New Circle exit (May 30, 2003) , More Projects 

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet has released the US-27 Intermediate Planning Study  concerning the reconstruction of US 27 in Garrard and Lincoln Counties.

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet will be holding the following public meetings in the near future:

• Jan. 23 - Campbell County: Extension of KY 536 from US 27 to the AA Highway 
• Feb. 6 - Morgan County: Realingment of US 460 at Greasy Hill 
• Feb. 13 - Lee County: Realignment and Reconstruction of KY 52 

A newly rebuilt six-mile section of US 150 in Lincoln County between Stanford and Crab Orchard has recently opened to traffic. The new road includes a dam on Cedar Creek. The project is expected to be completed soon and a dedication ceremony has been tentatively scheduled Sept. 4.

More information: Advocate Messenger: New Part of US 150 Opens to Traffic (Aug. 22, 2002) 

The above article also mentions a project on KY 501 to eliminate two 90 degree turns and a project to correct a rock fall hazard on US 27 in Lincoln County. The rock fall hazard was caused by people looking for the mineral millerite.

The Lexington Herald-Leader ran several articles discussing Lexington area traffic in their Sunday, Aug. 18, 2002. Among the articles was a look at the mayoral candidates' plans for congestion relief: the paper states that one candidate's plan may be impossible and the other's is already being implemented. Another article examines the work of the city's traffic signal systems manager who has recently been trying new traffic signal patterns on the city's highways. Another article attempts to answer frequently asked questions about traffic signals in Lexington, one article looks at how traffic on Man o' War Boulevard has developed since it opened in 1988, and a final article looks at the city's traffic television show.

According to one article, when Man o' War Boulevard opened in 1988 the 16.1 mile road had 11 stop lights and one flashing warning light. An Herald-Leader reporter was able to drive the road in 25 minutes. Now the road has 33 stop lights, and a drive from one end to the other took 30 minutes.

More information:

• Herald-Leader: Crosbie, Isaac focus on traffic (Aug. 18, 2002) 
• Herald-Leader: Traffic Q&A (Aug. 18, 2002) 
• man o' war: then & now (Aug. 18, 2002) 
• 'Traffic update' livens up newscast (Aug. 18, 2002) 
• Engineers work to reduce the stop-and-go in Lexington (Aug. 18, 2002) 

The Cincinnati Enquirer reports in this July 23, 2002 article  that a project to widen US 27 in Pendleton County will involve the moving of unidentified remains in an abandoned cemetery.

Work expected to begin in August will add two additional to Richmond Road between New Circle Road and Eagle Creek Drive in Lexington. The project is expected to take until fall 2004 to complete. Traffic on the road is projected to reach 80,000 vehicles per day by 2022, nearly double the traffic that used the road in 1999.

More information: Herald-Leader: Wider Richmond Road on way (May 25, 2002) 

A KYTC study shows that residents of Lancaster overwhelming favor a US 27 by-pass to the west of the city. The US 27 project from KY 34 in Garrard County to US 150 in Lincoln County is in the planning phase. Support for a bypass around Stanford is not as a clear cut. The planning phase of the US 27 project is set to end in July. The design phase is expected to begin on October 1 and last until September of 2003. Environmental impacts of the proposed route will be studies during the design phase.

More information: Advocate-Messenger: Lancaster Favors Western Bypass Route  (no longer online)

Lancaster residents expressed their want for a US 27 bypass at a recent public meeting. The Transportation Cabinet is studying a reconstruction of US 27 from KY 34 in Garrard County to US 150 in Lincoln County.

More information: Danville Advocate-Messenger: Lancaster Residents Want Bypass  (no longer online)

The Danville Advocate Messenger reports here  (no longer online) that the Kentucky Heritage Council has agreed that Alternate 2B is the "least harm" option for the new four-lane route in Garrard County. The KYTC can now recommend this route to the Federal Highway Administration. There is concern that any reconstruction of the road will damage a Civil War site in the area.

The KYTC will be holding public meetings to discuss the reconstruction of US 27 from KY 34 in Garrard County to the Stanford Bypass. More details can be found here .

After examining press releases from Congressman Fletcher  (no longer online) and Congressman Rogers , I have learned more specific details about what projects Kentucky's money in the 2002 U.S. Department of Transportation spending bill has been allocated for:

• $20 million for land acquisition and planning efforts for Interstate 66, with an additional $2.5 million provided for ongoing design efforts of I-66 in Pike County.
• $2 million for a new initiative at the University of Kentucky. The Academy for Community Transportation Innovation will educate professionals and study transportation development, planning and design of suburban and rural areas.
• $2 million to help Kentucky establish a statewide clearinghouse for public travel information.
• $2 million for a project to provide traffic information through a universal telephone number (5-1-1). The pilot project will build a first generation 511 call center in Kentucky that could become a national resource for traffic information.
• $15.5 million for bus and bus facility needs across Kentucky.
• $1.5 million for preliminary work on a project to straighten a dangerous section of the Daniel Boone Parkway in Leslie County between mileposts 37 and 44
• $4 million for improved access to the Parkway from the new Clay/Leslie County Industrial Park
• $2 million for continued work on a project to improve US 25N in Rockcastle County to provide for increased traffic at the new Country Music Hall of Fame
• $1.4 million to improve Cold Hill Road, located in the Daniel Boone National Forest in Laurel County
• $995,000 to improve a stretch of Craigs Creek Road on U.S. Forest Service land in Laurel County
• $885,000 for improvements to Kentucky’s Scenic Byways, including the Country Music Highway, the Wilderness Road Heritage Highway and the Cumberland Cultural Heritage Highway.
• $800,000 for the design phase of a 4-lane project on a section of US 27 south of Somerset to Burnside Island.
• $500,000 to widen Leestown Road in Lexington.

This Danville Advocate-Messenger article  (no longer online) reports that the KYTC is nearing a decision on a route for US 27 reconstruction in Garrard County. Some citizens are concerned about the impact the new route might have on a historic site in the area. US 27 is to be reconstructed as a four lane highway from the Kentucky River to KY 34.

A number of new planning studies have been released including a new connector near Grayson in Carter County , reconstruction of US 27 in Garrard and Lincoln Counties , reconstruction of KY 101 in Warren County , reconstruction of KY 90 in Barren County , and reconstruction of US 25 in Boone County .

Update: The KYTC has also launched two new websites devoted to particular projects: KY52.com  for improvements to KY 52 in Garrard and Madison counties and E2RC.com  for information about the Elizabethtown-Radcliff Connector.

According to this KYTC press release , work has begun to the last section of the new four lane Paris Pike connecting Lexington and Paris. This road is US 27 and US 68 and should be completed by November 2003.

Slow going research into the site of Camp Dick Robinson, a Civil War encampment, have delayed the choice of a route for a new four lane US 27 between KY 34 and the Kentucky River for over a year. The Danville Advocate-Messenger has three items about the delay: an editorial blasting the historic preservation as excessive  (no longer online), an article detailing the site and the progress of the study  (no longer online), and an article about the effect of the late decision on local businesses  (no longer online).