- Fiscal Court approves agreement with KYTC to begin construction on Camp Ernst–Longbranch roundabout
- $1.5 million project expected to receive $531,080 in state reimbursement
- Construction planned for summer break to reduce impact on Cooper High School traffic
Boone County is moving forward with the construction of a roundabout at the intersection of Camp Ernst Road and Longbranch Road.
On Tuesday, Feb. 10, the Boone County Fiscal Court approved an agreement with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet to move into the construction phase of the prospective roundabout at Camp Ernst and Longbranch roads.
The intersection has become a concern for some Boone County officials and residents because of heavy traffic generated by neighboring Cooper High School and the Hawks Landing Preserve subdivision. Moreover, the intersection is bordered by two adjacent electrical substations.
Boone County Judge/Executive Gary Moore explained that the project was originally planned as a T-intersection in 2015 after receiving a grant from the Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments. However, the design was later changed to a roundabout due to safety concerns. The project experienced delays over the years because of the redesign.
“This project was originally planned and awarded as a T-intersection with just a lot of turn lanes,” Moore said. “And when you have the school traffic and a lot of young drivers, because it’s a high school campus with Cooper there, and the success of the other round of roundabouts growing in popularity and being much safer. I mean, the safety is remarkably different than a T-intersection, so through the years, that’s one of the things that delayed the project.”
An analysis published by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and the Highway Loss Data Institute found that roundabouts are generally safer than traditional intersections, or T-intersections, because their design naturally regulates speed, resulting in fewer crashes. The analysis also found that roundabouts reduce traffic flow and are safer for pedestrians.
Prior to the vote, Boone County Engineer Rob Franxman stated that the county was approving a revised agreement with KYTC that would reimburse $531,080 in construction costs. The project is fully covered in the county’s Fiscal Year 2025-2026 budget, with $1.5 million allocated for expenses and about $500,000 expected in reimbursement income.
Furthermore, Franxman said that once the agreement is executed, the project will be advertised for bid, with construction scheduled primarily during summer break to minimize disruption to school traffic. Major work is expected to take about two months while school is out, with additional finishing work continuing into the fall. Completion is anticipated by late fall.
“There’s quite a bit of work to go with the project,” he said. “There’s some water lines that need relocated. I would expect those to begin while school is still in and traffic can be maintained. With perfect weather, I’m going to say that it’s going to take real close to the two months when school is out to get the majority of the work finished and it functioning like the roundabout.”
The approval comes nearly a month after Boone County chose Gresham Smith, a Cincinnati-based consulting firm, to design broader improvements along the Camp Ernst Road corridor. Gresham Smith will be tasked with designing safety, capacity, and multimodal upgrades over four miles of Camp Ernst Road, starting near the Pleasant Valley roundabout and extending toward the Longbranch area.
Although the project primarily focuses on the larger corridor, it also aims to address ongoing concerns about rising traffic and safety issues along Camp Ernst Road, which have prompted efforts to reconstruct the Longbranch intersection into a roundabout.