Work has begun on the final phase of a lengthy road project in Fayette County. It’s a road improvement project that’s garnered attention and reaction for many years.
The road-closed sign is up for the last section of work along Clays Mill Road in Lexington. If you include conversations about widening the road through residential, business, and school areas, it’s been about a half-century point of discussion. A middle turn lane has been added along much of Clays Mill. Lexington Director of Engineering Doug Burton.
“We’re doing a major widening project or an arterial in an urban area and that’s challenging. Near three or four schools. There’s no easy way to do that. We can’t just do that in a vacuum and then be done and hand it to everybody else,” said Burton.
Burton said “patience” is being sought. The city engineer says hopefully the last leg, between Rosemont Garden and Harrodsburg Road will be completed by Thanksgiving. Burton noted it’s a road deserving of attention for years and years.
“Adding that turn lane made a massive difference, especially in the areas of the schools and the churches, cause it allowed that turning movement to get out of the way of the through traffic. So, you eliminate those rear-end collisions or at least reduce them and then you allow that through movement to go on through while the turn lane happens as it should,” said Burton.
An intersection project at Clays Mill and Rosemont Garden has been completed. And Burton said modifications could be made on detour routes if other options are deemed better.
