A shift in the work being done on a two-mile stretch of U.S. 231 (Scottsville Road) from Dye Ford Road to Mt. Lebanon Church Road will bring about a shift in how motorists turn onto the busy artery.

Kentucky Transportation Cabinet District 3 Chief Engineer Joe Plunk said Wednesday that contractor Charles Deweese Construction has completed work on the shoulders of the stretch of road in preparation for reconfiguring the medians at 10 intersections.

That median work has started and will include what are called Restricted Crossing U-Turn (RCUT) configurations at six of the intersections.

An RCUT intersection prohibits direct left turns from the side street and creates a two-stage process for left turns and straight-through movements from the side street. Motorists wanting to turn left or travel straight across the intersection will turn right to proceed to a left-turn lane provided to make a U-turn.

Plunk said RCUTs aren’t new to this area, with one being incorporated into construction of the Southwest Parkway that connects the South Central Industrial Park to Russellville Road.

The RCUTs and other intersection changes are included in the $3.5 million project that is aimed at improving safety and traffic flow in a fast-growing part of Warren County.

“It’s another area where we’re trying to address citizen concerns,” Plunk said. “People ask for traffic signals, but that isn’t possible at every intersection.

“This is a rapidly growing area where many new subdivisions have been built. As the area continues to grow, it creates more stress on that corridor. This is a way of protecting the infrastructure and enhancing the experience for motorists.”

A news release from KYTC District 3 Public Information Officer Wes Watt said RCUT intersections improve sight distance and allow motorists to focus on traffic coming from one way at a time.

Watt said safety is an increasing concern on rural roads along the Scottsville Road corridor going through Alvaton.

“There have been several serious accidents in the Mt. Lebanon Church Road and Old Scottsville Road areas,” Watt said. “The RCUT intersections will go a long way toward improving safety.”

Plunk said RCUTs will eliminate left-turning motorists pulling into the median and waiting for traffic to clear, an occurrence that can be hazardous if larger vehicles are making the turn.

Improvements along Scottsville Road at intersections not getting an RCUT will be limited to left-in and right-out only.

The intersections off of Scottsville Road getting RCUTs are Mt. Lebanon Church Road, Ivy Farms Street, Nob Hill Road/Collett Bridge Road, Phil Moore Park entrance, Village Way and Dye Ford Road.

Roads where the intersections with Scottsville Road will be restricted to a left-turn-in, right-turn-in and right-turn-out only are Greta Drive, Wilson Road, Drake Boulevard and Nob Hill Road.

Watt said lane closures and reduced speed limits can be expected throughout the project, which he said should be completed by the end of the year.

“The contract date calls for completion by Nov. 15,” Plunk said. “We were hoping to be farther along, but there are a lot of challenges in construction these days.”

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