TRAVEL SAFER. TRAVEL SMARTER. |
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April showers bring May flowers – and the beginning of the summer road construction season. Did you know that April 17-23 is Work Zone Awareness week? Construction crews are the most important part of building and maintaining our roads and infrastructure, and they’re typically working in the right of way on busy roads. As projects begin ramping up again, personnel will be back on site, and that means it’s important for drivers to be especially cautious when driving through work zones. Here are a few tips to help keep you and our road workers safe when you encounter those orange barrels: |
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Slow Down. They might seem inconvenient when you’re in a hurry, but reduced speed limits and increased fines for speeding in work zones are there for a reason – and yes, they do apply to you, too. They help keep the folks who build and maintain our roads safe on the job. Please be mindful of them and decrease your speed accordingly as you drive through.
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Pay Attention. Keeping your eyes on the road is always important, but you’ll want to be extra aware of your surroundings as you cruise through work zones. Put your phone down, ignore distractions, and watch for lane changes, personnel, and other drivers.
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Fill Up Your Tank. We’ve all had it happen – it’s no fun sitting in construction traffic and seeing your low fuel warning light up with no idea how long it will take you to get to a gas station. Don’t stress yourself – be sure to fill up before traveling through construction zones, or plan a different route if you’re low on fuel.
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Stay Back. It’s easy to drive too close to the car in front of us, especially in slower driving conditions. Drivers ed might teach us to leave extra space, but many drivers forget that guidance when we’re behind the wheel. In a work zone, it’s even more important to make sure you have plenty of room to stop suddenly. You never know when the person in front of you will need to brake quickly due to a flagger or a change in traffic pattern, so be sure to leave some extra space to protect yourself.
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Stay Informed. Nobody likes unexpected holdups that prolong the constant chorus from the backseat asking, “Are we there yet?” When you hit the road for summer travel, plan your route ahead of time and go one extra step to check out where work zones are along your way so you can be prepared or plan another route. For work in Northern Kentucky, keep an eye on DrivingNKYProgress.org, follow us on social media (links are at the bottom of this email), or check in with KYTC District 6.
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Summer Construction Update |
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Work is already underway again for the 2023 construction season. Here at KYTC, we’re looking forward to an exciting year of progress. Keep an eye on DrivingNKYProgress.org and our social media pages for traffic advisories and updates as they occur. Here’s a quick glance at what you can expect this summer for three major KYTC projects in Northern Kentucky as they progress toward completion. |
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I-71/75 Paving and Striping |
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Look for paving and striping work along I-71/75 between the Mt. Zion Rd. interchange and the I-71/75 split in Walton, KY. These pavement repairs will make travel smoother and safer. This project is expected to be complete by the end of the year. |
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Additional paving, a shared use path and final configuration of the Double Crossover Diamond (DCD) interchange are in the summer plans for Mt. Zion Rd. and I-71/75. These improvements will improve safety, reduce travel delays, and provide better connections for businesses in the area. Construction is expected to be complete by the end of 2023. |
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Exciting things are happening on the state roads in southern Boone County! The Single Point Urban Interchange (SPUI) at Richwood Rd. and Dixie Highway and the DCD at Richwood Rd. and I-71/75 are both expected to open in late summer. There’s plenty of work to be done to finalize the project area. Once these configurations are open to traffic they’re expected to improve safety, reduce delays, and provide better connections for businesses and truck stops. This project is expected to be complete by the end of the year. |
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It sounds simple written here, but there’s a lot of work going on in all three of these project areas, as well as elsewhere in Northern Kentucky. Follow KYTC District 6 and DNKYP for updates as work happens throughout this construction season. As always, we’re here to keep you informed of traffic impacts of these projects before they occur so you can plan accordingly. |
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