The following links will open a Google Earth view of the U.S. 25 South Leg project corridor. These allow you to see the paths and characteristics of the various designs relative to your neighborhood.
The maps feature indicators for proposed lanes, entrances and bridges. Red lines represent proposed highway lanes and frontage roads, orange lines represent proposed entrances and bridges, purple dots represent proposed construction limits, solid blue lines represent proposed right-of-way borders, and dashed blue lines represent proposed temporary construction easements.
Click here to see a four-lane design for U.S. 25.
The four lane alternative consists of widening existing U.S. 25 from the Campground Road area to the intersection with KY 1006 (Levi Jackson Road). Widening would occur primarily along the existing roadway making use of as much of the existing right-of-way as possible. However, there are several locations along the corridor that the new roadway leaves the existing roadway for short distances for engineering design and other reasons.
This four lane configuration would consist of two through lanes in each direction with a center 40-foot depressed grass median.
The widened roadway would also include full 12-foot shoulders on each side and wider safer ditches outside the shoulders.
At major intersections and access points this new roadway would also include auxiliary right and left turn lanes removing turning motorists from the through lanes thus reducing the number of rear end collisions along the corridor.
A four lane depressed median roadway represents an alternative that satisfies all the project goals established by the Project Team.
By adding lanes and maintaining a 55 mph design speed, the connectivity between London and Corbin would be enhanced, while improving safety by separating oncoming traffic with a depressed median.
This alternative would also help to reduce the number of unrestricted access points along the corridor.
By providing a depressed median as a barrier, vehicles accessing U.S. 25 from adjacent properties would be forced to make right turns and use the next adjacent intersection to execute a U-turn to complete a left turn.
Likewise, motorists wishing to make a left turn from U.S. 25 into certain entrances would be forced to use the next adjacent intersection to complete a U-turn and then access the entrance with a right turn.
This access scheme allows the transportation designers to anticipate where the access points will be along the roadway and design to accommodate them but reduce the number of overall potential conflict points.
In order to accommodate adjacent developments requiring semi-truck access or larger vehicle access, the Project Team has attempted to meet these needs by providing full intersections at these locations to prevent the need for large trucks to make U-turns along U.S. 25.
By consolidating and combining multiple entrances to adjacent properties and the use of frontage roads, the Project Team is able to make great strides in the reduction in the number of access points along the roadway with this alternate.
This, combined with the restriction on the types of access to the roadway has a significant impact on the safety and operation of U.S. 25.
When comparing the four lane depressed median alternative to the five lane alternative, the relative differences in impacts to the surrounding area are evident.
In almost every instance, if the four lane depressed median configuration has an impact on a parcel or structure, the five lane alternative has the same end result.
This is mainly due to the fact that the wider four lane depressed median roadway is only 13’ wider on each side than the five lane alternative or the “narrowest” roadway that would be considered.
Click here to see a five-lane design for U.S. 25.
The five lane alternative consists of widening existing U.S. 25 from the Campground Road area to the intersection with KY 1006 (Levi Jackson Road). Widening would occur primarily along the existing roadway, making use of as much of the existing right of way as possible. However, there are several locations along the corridor that the new roadway leaves the existing roadway for short distances for engineering design and other reasons.
This five lane configuration would consist of two through lanes in each direction with a center two-way left turn lane.
The widened roadway would also include full twelve foot shoulders on each side and wider, safer ditches outside the shoulders.
At major intersections and access points this new roadway would also include auxiliary right turn lanes removing turning motorists from the through lanes thus reducing the number of rear end collisions along the corridor.
The development of this five lane alternative is primarily to represent the narrowest possible roadway configuration that would be considered for a roadway of this type.
In most instances, a continuous two-way left turn lane is associated with a maximum 45 mph design facility. Therefore this configuration doesn’t satisfy the project goal of decreasing travel time between Corbin and London.
However, the Project Team recognized this as the “narrowest” possible roadway section and therefore decided to use it as a basis for comparison for other wider configurations that satisfy all of the major project goals.
In addition, projected future traffic volumes and the number of access points per mile of roadway exceed most commonly held thresholds for the use of a continuous two-way left turn lane design such as this.
A major safety issue identified by the Project Team along the U.S. 25 Corridor is the number of access points.
These access points create potential conflicts between through motorists and vehicles trying to turn into and out of adjacent entrances and side roads.
By consolidating and combining multiple entrances to adjacent properties and the use of frontage roads, the Project Team is able to make great strides in the reduction in the number of access points along the roadway with this alternate.
However, with a painted median or continuous two-way left turn lane there is no barrier to prevent new entrances from being added later and those using the entrances can turn left or right into or out of the access unrestricted.
This is counterproductive to the goal of reducing the number of potential conflict points along the corridor.
When comparing the five lane alternative to the four lane depressed median alternative, the relative differences in impacts to the surrounding area are evident.
In almost every instance, if the four lane depressed median configuration has an impact on a parcel or structure, the five lane alternative has the same end result.
This is due mainly to the fact that the wider four lane depressed median roadway is only 13’ wider on each side than the five lane alternative or the “narrowest” roadway that would be considered.
Click here to see a design for the new U.S. 25/U.S. 25E/U.S. 25W interchange.
This interchange alternative replaces the existing at-grade intersection of U.S. 25/U.S. 25E/U.S. 25W with a grade separated interchange located primarily in the northeast quadrant of the existing intersection. The operation of this interchange would be much like a standard diamond interchange in that it allows the east and westbound U.S. 25E traffic to move through the interchange without stopping. Access to U.S. 25 and U.S. 25W would be with ramps featuring conventional intersections with traffic signals on either side of U.S. 25E. The difference in a flopped or folded interchange is that one or two of the ramps for the interchange are circular ramps, remaining internal to the interchange. These types of interchanges are often found in urban or more developed areas that are somewhat restricted in how big the interchange can be due to adjacent development.
This particular interchange will be a double flop diamond, including a three-span bridge over U.S. 25E. It also realigns a portion of U.S. 25 located approximately between Cherry Lane and Campground Road. The existing intersection would be removed as would the existing turn lanes along U.S. 25E once the interchange is completed.
With 15-year projected traffic volumes of nearly 50,000 vehicles per day along U.S. 25E and 25,000 vehicles per day on U.S. 25 traveling through this intersection, the average peak delays associated with leaving the intersection in its current configuration will be nearly 115 seconds, with delays along certain legs of the intersection of over 290 seconds.
This means that on average it will take nearly two minutes to travel through this intersection and could take more than four minutes along certain legs if the intersection is not improved.
The proposed double flop diamond interchange alternative however, will result in a much lower average delay through the area since the U.S. 25E through traffic would not have to stop at all.
They would also no longer impede the motorist wishing to turn onto or from the adjacent U.S. 25/U.S. 25W.
The peak delays associated with the two intersections in this interchange would be 16 seconds and 19 seconds.
While motorists along U.S. 25/U.S. 25W will have to travel through at most two separate intersections, the delay associated with these two intersections is still significantly less than the same movements through the existing intersection with no improvements.
The major difference between this alternate and the single flop diamond alternate is the location, extent, and type of impacts to the surrounding area.
The double flop diamond alternative has a slightly shorter peak delay at one intersection that allows additional simultaneous traffic movements due to its signal configuration.
However, this alternate requires slightly more overall right-of-way to be purchased and affects two more properties than the single flop diamond alternate.
Click here to see an alternate design for the new U.S. 25/U.S. 25E/U.S. 25W interchange.
Single Flopped Diamond Interchange – This interchange alternative replaces the existing at-grade intersection of U.S. 25/U.S. 25E/U.S. 25W with a grade separated interchange located primarily in the northeast quadrant of the existing intersection. The operation of this interchange would be much like a standard diamond interchange in that it allows the east and westbound U.S. 25E traffic to move through the interchange without stopping. Access to U.S. 25 and U.S. 25W would be with ramps that have conventional intersections with traffic signals on either side of U.S. 25E. The difference in a flopped or folded interchange is that one or two of the ramps for the interchange are circular ramps, remaining internal to the interchange. These types of interchanges are often found in urban or more developed areas that are somewhat restricted in how big the interchange can be due to adjacent development.
This particular interchange will be a single flop diamond, include a three span bridge over U.S. 25E and also realign a portion of U.S. 25 located approximately between Cherry Lane and Campground Road.
The existing intersection would be removed as would the existing turn lanes along U.S. 25E once the interchange is completed.
With 15-year projected traffic volumes of nearly 50,000 vehicles per day along U.S. 25E and 25,000 vehicles per day on U.S. 25 traveling through this intersection, the average peak delays associated with leaving the intersection in its current configuration will be nearly 115 seconds, with delays along certain legs of the intersection of over 290 seconds. This means that on average it will take nearly two minutes to travel through this intersection and could take more than four minutes along certain legs if the intersection is not improved.
The proposed single flop diamond interchange alternative however, will result in a much lower average delay through the area since the U.S. 25E through traffic would not have to stop at all.
They would also no longer impede the motorist wishing to turn onto or from the adjacent U.S. 25/U.S. 25W.
The peak delays associated with the two intersections in this interchange would be 16 seconds and 29 seconds.
While motorists along U.S. 25/U.S. 25W will have to travel through at most two separate intersections, the delay associated with these two intersections is still significantly less than the same movements through the existing intersection with no improvements.
The major difference in this alternate and the double flop diamond alternate is the location, extent, and type of impacts to the surrounding area.
The single flop diamond alternative has a slightly longer peak delay at one intersection due to a different intersection configuration that requires one additional traffic signal phase.
However this alternate requires slightly less overall right-of-way to be purchased and affects two fewer properties than the double flop diamond alternate.
Click here to see a U.S. 25 alignment that would be built near the Fariston community.
This represents an alternative to the four lane depressed median and 5 lane along the existing roadway on the northern end of the project area. The Fariston Cross Country Alternate is a four lane depressed median roadway that leaves the existing U.S. 25 corridor near Roaden Lane and KY 552 and traverses northwest across the CSX railroad with new twin bridges. The alignment then continues north on the west side of the community of Fariston until it ties back to existing U.S. 25 near the intersection of KY 1006 (Levi Jackson Road). Short side roads will provide access to existing U.S. 25 at each end of the new alignment area and existing U.S. 25 would remain in place.
The roadway cross section for this alternate is identical to the four lane depressed median alternate discussed elsewhere with two through lanes in each direction, a 40 foot depressed median and 12 foot outside shoulders.
At major intersections and access points this new roadway would also include auxiliary right and left turn lanes removing turning motorists from the through lanes thus reducing the number of rear end collisions along the corridor.
One of the major benefits of a cross country alignment is the spacing of entrances and intersections.
Since access only has to be provided to side roads that are crossed and the fewer individual parcels that are encountered in a rural area, the spacing of these accesses can be greater, thus reducing the number of conflict points for turning motorist.
In fact, a Kentucky Revised Statute governing the minimum spacing of access points in a rural area can be employed that limits this spacing to a minimum of 1,200 feet, even after the project is completed.
A standard such as this could never be implemented along the existing roadway due to the number of existing entrances that have to be served.
This gives the Project Team the authority to legislate the location of the access points along the corridor where they can provide the safest access to the roadway.
Another major benefit to the Fariston Cross Country Alternative is the fewer number of properties crossed and residential and commercial buildings impacted.
This fact is evidenced by the number of properties that are developed along the existing roadway.
Any widening along existing U.S. 25 will have a greater impact on adjacent residences and businesses than a cross country alternative where there is an opportunity to design the roadway to avoid certain areas.
This alternative is also an opportunity to avoid one of the more congested areas along the corridor near the existing intersection of Fariston Road and U.S. 25.
Widening the existing roadway in this area is somewhat restricted by the existing curvature along U.S. 25 and an existing CSX railroad bridge.
By realigning U.S. 25 in this area and leaving existing U.S. 25 in place, local access to individual properties along the existing roadway can be maintained as it is now, but safer by diverting the majority of the traffic volume along U.S. 25 to the new alignment.
This map depicts property ownership along the project corridor. All information was gleaned from local P.V.A. records.
Citizens Advisory Committee Materials
CAC Meeting #1 12/20/2011 - Minutes
CAC Meeting #1 12/20/2011 - PowerPoint Presentation
CAC Meeting #3 5/30/2012 - Minutes
CAC Meeting.#3 5/30/2012 - PowerPoint Presentation
CAC Meeting #4 4/26/2013 - Minutes
CAC Meeting #4 4/26/2013 - PowerPoint Presentation
Public Meeting Materials
February 2012 Public Meeting Handout 1
February 2012 Public Meeting Fact Sheet
