Roundabout active at intersection of Elizabethtown Rd. and bypass

As anyone who has been out and about on Thursday in Leitchfield knows, a new traffic pattern is now active at the intersection of Elizabethtown Road (U.S. 62) and the William Thomason Byway.

As K105 reported Thursday morning, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) late Wednesday night learned that a company already working on the repaving project on North and South Main Streets in Leitchfield offered to begin the roundabout installation project on Thursday if KYTC officials wished the company to do so.

“While traffic is shifted to the new layout, construction is not complete. Work to build in the roundabout median, paving, removal of the signal and permanent striping will take place in coming weeks,” KYTC District 4 Public Information Officer Chris Jessie said.

“The intersection was chosen to be updated to a roundabout configuration based on collision history, with a goal to improve safety and efficiency,” Jessie added.

Upon approach to the intersection, motorists are reminded to look left and yield, as traffic inside the roundabout circle has right of way.

As K105 reported in March, there are also roundabouts slated, at this point, for the intersection of the byway and Salt River Road, and the byway and Grayson Springs Road. Both of those intersections have experienced multiple injury and fatality accidents, particularly the intersection of the byway and Salt River Road.

Additionally, when the byway extension project is complete, a roundabout will be installed at the intersection of the extended byway and U.S. 62 (Beaver Dam Rd.).

For educational information on roundabouts and other innovative highway designs – including fact sheets, diagrams, and video overviews – visit the Transportation Cabinet’s SAFERoad Solutions website at https://transportation.ky.gov/saferoadsolutions/.

By Ken Howlett, News Director

Contact Ken at ken@k105.com