The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet is weighing options for reducing traffic on KY-17, also known as Madison Pike, around the I-275 exits. One option could feature the use of use of RCUTS—Reduced Conflict U-Turns, sometimes referred to as Michigan left turns.
Traffic analyses of the area date back to 2019, according to traffic studies LINK nky obtained through a public records request. The project itself has been a topic of consideration at the cabinet since at least 2022, according to a statement from the cabinet that was delivered to Edgewood City Administrator Brian Dehner, which LINK nky has also obtained. The cabinet’s most recent analysis happened last year.
There are no concrete plans in place yet for the project, but the usage of RCUTs has been the subject of late among KYTC officials and local elected officials, especially in Edgewood.
“Initial designs would have moved Dudley Road to a better alignment further south but created a curve and affected 14 properties,” reads the cabinet’s statement. “Another proposal would have increased property impacts and the overall project cost. Since then, we have been exploring alternative options and are in the early stages of planning a Reduced Conflict U-turn (RCUT) intersection—a nationally recognized safety countermeasure that improves traffic flow while reducing property impacts at a fraction of the original project cost.”
Dehner and Edgewood elected officials discussed the issue at their City Council meeting on June 15, expressing concern that the cabinet had not clearly communicated their plans to the city. The topic was especially pointed given the recent controversy around the (now canceled) conversion of Dixie Highway in Erlanger, Florence and Elsmere.
“KYTC does not communicate…,” Dehner said on June 15. “It has been very difficult over the last several years to deal with them on any project.”
The possibility of eliminating standard left turns off of Dudley Road onto KY-17 was a particular pain point. The Edgewood campus of St. Elizabeth Healthcare is located on a road that intersects with Dudley, and the possibility of eliminating all standard left turns from Dudley in favor of potentially multiple U-turns on the hill didn’t bode well among some of the council members.
“I think that’s just going to make it even worse,” said Council Member Scott Spille. “You’re gonna have everyone from St. Elizabeth turning right to only sit in gridlock.”
KYTC met with Dehner and Mayor John Link in the weeks after the June 15. Dehner told LINK nky that the meeting had been “positive.” He said the cabinet expected begin construction – once they have an actual plan worked out – around 2030.
“They’re not even sure what they’re going to do yet,” Dehner told LINK nky.
“We will continue to provide timely information to local agencies and the public as it becomes available,” the cabinet’s statement concludes.
