Drivers coming off Interstate 471 at Exit 5 in Newport will see major safety changes next year, including lane separation, a speed hump, curb extensions and new pedestrian crossings.
The city of Newport shared at its Aug. 17 meeting that the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet is planning improvements to the I-471 southbound ramp at Park Avenue, also known as the Route 8 exit. Newport Assistant City Manager Brian Steffen said the project grew out of concerns raised by a property owner near the end of the ramp who had experienced property damage.
Those concerns eventually led KYTC to hire an outside consultant to conduct a safety study.
After observing the area in person, Steffen said the KYTC consultant saw drivers making illegal U-turns, speeding down the ramp and braking sharply near the bottom, along with pedestrians struggling to cross the road safely.
According to information provided by KYTC, 82 crashes occurred between the I-471 ramp and Dave Cowens Drive from 2019 through 2023, including one involving a pedestrian who was injured. The agency found vehicles traveled an average of 32 mph through an area with a posted 25 mph speed limit.
About 10,800 vehicles travel through the area each day.
Rather than relying on a single change, Newport Mayor Tom Guidugli Jr. said the combination of lane separation, the extended barrier, traffic calming and shorter pedestrian crossings could make the area safer.
“Is it going to be perfect? No. We still have highway coming directly through a neighborhood,” he said. “But if we can slow them down and we can have a safer path by reducing the travel distance of the pedestrians, which is happening, all those things are going to help.”
The proposed improvements include extending the existing barrier to better separate traffic coming from the interstate from traffic traveling north on Park Avenue. The lanes will remain separated until closer to the bottom of the ramp, where motorists can change lanes.
The plan also calls for additional signage and pavement markings, along with traffic-calming measures intended to discourage speeding and illegal U-turns.
Pedestrian improvements are planned near Park Avenue and Second Street. KYTC’s design includes curb extensions to shorten the distance pedestrians have to cross, marked crosswalks and a rapid rectangular flashing beacon that pedestrians can activate before crossing.
The project will also add some green space that the city can landscape, Steffen said.
Another notable feature is a speed hump on the interstate exit. Steffen said he was told it would be the first speed hump installed on an interstate exit in Kentucky.
“I was actually surprised at the extent that they went with the design on this,” he said.
Steffen said he has requested additional specifications for the speed hump because of concerns about potential noise. The current plan calls for a low-profile hump that is expected to extend from curb to curb.
Steffen said the plan includes signage suggesting a speed of 15 mph around the speed hump, while the posted speed near the end of the ramp remains 25 mph.
“Hopefully, the narrowness of that area as you come around the bend will encourage folks to slow down,” Steffen said.
The project is expected to go out to bid in early October, with construction anticipated to begin in spring 2027 and completion expected by the summer.
While some ramp closures are anticipated during construction, Steffen said the work largely consists of striping, signage and relatively limited pavement and curb work.
“I don’t think there’s going to be a huge disruption down there,” he said. “It really is not a large-scale project.”
Steffen said KYTC has committed to considering additional changes if the planned improvements do not adequately address the problems.
