Kentucky

[hbelkins]

Now, TDOT will need to prepare to expand their section of I-75 to six lanes, otherwise it's going to be like I-65 before TDOT got their act together to widen their portion of interstate...

Don't hold your breath. Even just adding a third lane for southbound (uphill) traffic on the Pine Mountain crossing south of Jellico would cost a fortune.

[Buck87]

Glad to see the next section of I-75 widening is underway. That first mile south of exit 29 is going to be the trickiest part of this project, as there is a pair of bridges that need widened and a section of cuts that will likely need widened too, unless a realignment can fit 3 lanes through the existing cuts. I've been looking at that little section for years when driving by wondering exactly how they'll go about it when the time comes.

The rest of this project segment from the end of these cuts down past exit 25 should be pretty smooth sailing, with the new lanes going in the median using KY's standard widening process.

[Great Lakes Roads]

https://www.whas11.com/article/news/local/louisville-i65-construction-toll-roads-kentucky/417-c665d43e-5da2-4b28-a3e3-485328d716d5

Kentucky is talking about potentially adding toll roads (or a highway fee) to maintain their infrastructure...

[The Ghostbuster]

Kentucky hasn't had a toll road since the Audobon Parkway, and the then-William Natcher Parkway had their tolls removed in 2006. With that being the case, I wonder how much pushback there will be to reinstating tolls to Kentucky's roadways.

[hbelkins]

Tolls were floated as an option for paying for the Mountain Parkway widening. The outcry from the eastern part of the state was deafening. That idea got shot down in a hurry.

That being said, it sounds like Higdon (who's leaving after next year's legislative session) is advocating for toll lanes similar to what Virginia has implemented. As long as they are built as additional lanes and don't take away an existing general-purpose free lane, I can't imagine anyone would have a problem with them.

[Plutonic Panda]

I can't imagine anyone would have a problem with them.

If the only add toll lanes and not free GP lanes anymore I can understand why they'd have a problem with them.

[hbelkins]

I can't imagine anyone would have a problem with them.

If the only add toll lanes and not free GP lanes anymore I can understand why they'd have a problem with them.

I don't understand your point.

Let's say, for example, that KYTC decides to implement a toll lane on I-65 inside the Watterson.

If they currently have three free lanes and add one toll express lane, then I don't understand why anyone would have issues with it. Free-lane capacity is not reduced and the toll lane is an option for those who want to pay the toll.

But if instead, KYTC converts one of the free lanes to a toll lane, leaving only two free lanes, then yes, people would rightly have issues with that.

[Plutonic Panda]

Right, but if they don't add any more free lanes, then it's a problem. It's not simply just adding toll lanes a lot of facilities that have toll lanes have the free lanes that are clogged and people can't afford the toll lanes so they have to sit in the free lanes which are not being expanded because they're only adding toll lanes.

[seicer]

Project page for improvements to US 150 between KY 49 and KY 245 in Bardstown. I can barely use at this "interactive" interface that's not intuitive, but it does show a conventional two-lane road with a two-way center turn lane and a multi-use path, a roundabout at Pottershop Loop and Springhill Drive, and another at KY 49.

Revised preferred alternative

Revised Preferred Alternative for US 150 in Nelson County
Improvements planned between KY 49 and just west of KY 245

ELIZABETHTOWN, Ky. (September 7, 2025) – The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) in partnership with the Federal Highways Administration (FHWA) is presenting a revised preferred alternative for the US 150 improvement project from KY 49 (Loretto Road near My Old Kentucky Home) to just west of KY 245 (near Walmart).

The purpose of this project is to alleviate traffic congestion and improve safety along this stretch of US 150. This will include widening the roadway from its existing two lanes to add a center turn lane. In addition, Pottershop Loop will be relocated to create an intersection with US 150 and Springhill Drive. Roundabouts will be constructed at the intersection of US 150 and KY 49, along with the newly relocated intersection of US 150, Springhill Drive and Pottershop Loop.

This project has been in planning phases for several years. An original public meeting was held in November, 2007. Preliminary plans of improving US 150 from KY 49 to Leslie Ballard Road were created based on comments from that meeting. In 2018, the project was divided, and KYTC moved forward with improving US 150 from KY 245 to Leslie Ballard Road. This portion of the project was completed in 2022. KYTC continues to move forward with the realignment and improvement of US 150 from Leslie Ballard Road to Springfield in three separate projects, including the segment currently under construction.

For updated exhibits and a virtual look at the revised preferred alternative, visit the District 4 page at transportation.ky.gov then look under project listings for Nelson County.

[hbelkins]

District 4 has gone crazy with roundabouts recently. That one at KY 49 will eat into the property of My Old Kentucky Home State Park, so I'm a little surprised they went with one there.

[Rothman]

District 4 has gone crazy with roundabouts recently. That one at KY 49 will eat into the property of My Old Kentucky Home State Park, so I'm a little surprised they went with one there.

Well, they got through 4(f) with that one, somehow, then.

[seicer]

Latest studyboards with proposed alignments
Survey

Milton Small Area Planning Study
KYTC launched a planning study in late 2024 to explore mobility needs for Lower Milton in Trimble County and along KY 36 into Carroll County.

Project Scope

The study is expected to develop concepts and cost estimates that will focus on three key elements:

• U.S. 421 approach improvements to the Milton-Madison bridge, including "Milton Hill," which contains grades up to 7% and has recurring slides/maintenance issues as the highway climbs the edge of the bluffs along the river.
• Freight mobility is challenging for large trucks with tight turns downtown (KY 36/Ferry Street). Narrow pavement and low-lying areas along KY 36 also limit routing. Truck trips to/from Madison reportedly must follow US 421 to I-71 to reach Carrollton, representing a 45-minute detour.
• Continue to consider pedestrian/bicycle mobility within Milton.

The current study grew from three decades of transportation plans and projects, which focused on the Ohio River Bridge but also started to consider other mobility needs in Milton. Most recently, a 2015 project considered changes at the base of Milton Hill but did not address geotechnical concerns along the hillside.  The current study zooms out to view the larger area and see if community perspectives have shifted in the past ten years. We will analyze existing geometry, traffic, and crashes — plus listen to local input — to identify options for improving mobility, reliability, and safety.