Changes are on the way to Veterans Memorial Boulevard, and officials are seeking input from the public on how the project will impact the transportation habits of Bowling Green residents.

The project involves installing a roundabout at the intersection of Veterans Memorial, Old Barren River Road and Victoria Street. A raised median similar to the one on Johnny Webb Boulevard will also be built along Veterans Memorial, running 0.8 miles from the roundabout to the intersection with Clay Street.

“The project’s intent is a way of better transitioning the road into the urban context,” said Joe Plunk, chief engineer for District 3 of the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. “Right now, if you catch a green (light), you could just barrel through the community at a pretty high speed, but the roundabout will really force driver behavior that will help manage speeds.”

Also included is what Plunk described as a “refuge island,” which will increase safety for pedestrians crossing the five lane road. He said these will exist at the intersections with West Main Avenue and Church Avenue.

The city secured $11 million in grant funding in March 2024 from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods Program. Plunk said this money has been transferred to District 3, which is covering design work and eventual construction.

In the meantime, KYTC is set to hold a meeting on Tuesday in the gymnasium at Parker-Bennett-Curry Elementary School from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. to gather input from the public on a design concept for the project.

“We’ve been working on a design for about six months now, and we have something to show the community,” Plunk said.

Another focus is on changes to transportation patterns, Plunk said, since part of the project involves removing left-turns from some side streets onto Veterans Memorial.

“There’ll be some access changes, and we just want to get feedback from folks on how that affects their travel patterns,” he said.

As for a project timeline, Plunk said in a “best case scenario,” construction would start in about one and a half to two years. Before then, work involving right-of-way acquisition and possibly some utility movements will have to be done, along with finishing the design.

Plunk said the construction phase itself would likely take an entire construction season.

“If we’re able to put the bid out in, say, March, then they would have the entire construction season,” he said. “It’s kind of hard to say, but I think 12 months or less would be a reasonable timeline.”

Plunk said while KYTC usually gets “a mix of opinions” about projects like these, there aren’t really any alternatives for this one.

“There’s not a lot of options,” he said.