Kentucky Awarded $67.5 Million to Transform Interstate Interchanges

One of Kentucky’s most heavily traveled freight corridors will be revitalized thanks to a $67.5 million INFRA grant awarded to the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) for I-71/I-75 interchange improvements in Boone County. Kentucky’s project is one of 26 projects issued the grant by the U.S. Department of Transportation to address critical issues facing the nation’s aging infrastructure.

The project will improve mobility for those who live and work in the area by converting both the existing KY 338 diamond interchange and the existing KY 536 diamond interchange to double crossover diamond interchanges and by reconstructing the existing U.S. 25 and KY 338 intersection to a single-point urban interchange. Safety improvements and traffic delays will be addressed by eliminating two at-grade rail crossings and constructing an overpass railroad bridge for the Norfolk Southern line.

The total future estimated cost of the project is $150.9 million. In addition to the INFRA grant, a combination of traditional state and federal funds, as well as local Boone County Fiscal Court funds and private funds, will pay for the remainder of the project.

Project improvements include:

• Replacement of the existing conventional diamond I-71/I-75 interchanges at KY 338 (Richwood Road) and KY 536 (Mt. Zion Road) with double crossover diamond (DCD) interchanges. These improvements eliminate bottlenecks and improve safety;
• Reconstruction of the intersection of U.S. 25 and KY 338 just east of the I-71/I-75 interchange with KY 338 to construct a Single Point Urban Interchange (SPUI), eliminating two at-grade rail crossings;
• Construction of northbound and southbound auxiliary lanes along I-71/I-75 north of the KY 536 interchange (MP 178.039 to MP 180.06); and
• Construction for portions of the project will begin in 2019. The estimated completion for the entire project is the winter of 2021.

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