Lexington, Kentucky, is home to more than 320,000 residents, making it the second-largest city in the state. Located in central Kentucky’s Fayette County, Lexington is known as the Horse Capital of the World. Its rolling hills are dotted with picturesque horse farms, thoroughbred racetracks, the Kentucky Horse Park, and the International Museum of the Horse.
Lexington is also home to the state’s largest university, the University of Kentucky, whose 30,000 students swell the area’s population and traffic during the school year. Nearly 750,000 people reside in the surrounding counties, and Lexington serves as the regional hub for work, retail, and entertainment.
To strengthen connectivity and improve safety and traffic flow in this ever-growing region, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) is developing multiple Fayette County projects, including two widening projects along the I-64/I-75 interstate corridor that flanks the city. KYTC has partnered with Lexington-based general contractor ATS Construction, the successful bidder on both projects, to complete the work. The projects are being done under two contracts — one for about $42 million and one for about $47 million, for a total $89 million investment.
Interstate 64, an east-west route spanning from St. Louis, Missouri, to Norfolk, Virginia, runs through central Kentucky and connects Lexington with Louisville (the state’s most populated city) and Frankfort (the state’s capital). I-75 is a critical interstate corridor running from south Florida to Canada. More than $2 billion worth of freight travels along I-75 every day. The two interstates merge for 6 miles in Lexington, from what locals call the northern split to the southern split (I-75 mile markers 117 and 111).
The current average daily traffic along the project corridor is 102,000 vehicles, and by 2040 it is predicted to increase more than 27 percent to 130,000. Much of that traffic is local — people driving from nearby Georgetown, Richmond, Nicholasville, Versailles, and Mt. Sterling into Lexington for work, school, shopping, entertainment, and health care from one of Lexington’s 15 hospitals. In addition, the corridor carries a heavy load of through traffic as trucks transport goods across state lines and travelers drive to their intended destinations.
To address increasing traffic, the projects will add one 12-foot lane in each direction, increasing the interstate’s overall width from six to eight lanes. They include improvements to the exit ramps at each interchange and the installation of noise barriers throughout the corridor.
“The I-75 widening projects will add roadway capacity to better handle increasing traffic,” said David Tipton, PE, Lexington Section Supervisor for KYTC. “The area experiences rush-hour backups daily. When complete, the new lanes will help alleviate those backups and reduce congestion.”
Safety is also a critical component. According to the KYTC website, crash data shows that the number of crashes along this section of the interstate has increased every year since 2012.
“Safety is always our No. 1 priority,” Tipton said. “Increasing capacity and improving traffic flow directly correlates to improved safety and fewer crashes.”
The two widening projects span a total of 4 contiguous miles within that merged segment of I-64 and I-75, from the Newtown Pike exit (mile marker 115) to the southern split (mile marker 111). Each project covers about 2 miles. The first runs from Newtown Pike exit to the Paris Pike exit (mile marker 113), while the second picks up at the Paris Pike exit and ends at the southern split.
ATS Construction won both construction contract bids for the projects, so a single ATS team is doing the work. So, why split the work into two projects?
“The projects were allotted at different times based on funding streams, acquiring right of way, and the utilities that had to be moved,” said Natasha Lacy, Public Information Officer for KYTC District 7, the office that oversees the construction and maintenance of highways in 12 central Kentucky counties, including Fayette County.
Because I-64/I-75 is a crucial roadway that hundreds of thousands of drivers count on, the project team had to carefully consider the traffic plan when developing the project.
“We approached the planning phase from the perspective of, ‘How can we get this project done on time and on budget while disrupting the traffic flow as little as possible?’” said Tony McGaha, Transportation Engineer Branch Manager for KYTC District 7. “We put our heads together with ATS and came up with solutions to both minimize disruption and to keep the community informed so they can plan their travel accurately.”
A new project-based website houses project updates and travel advisories for both interstate projects as well as two other major projects nearby. According to the project website, the traffic impacts along I-64/I-75 are:
- The work zone will maintain three lanes in each direction
- Lanes may be shifted and/or narrowed
- The speed limit will be reduced (55 mph)
- Barrels and barrier walls will be used to control traffic flow
The team is also doing a substantial amount of work at night, according to Lacy. Lane closures have occurred during off hours of the day and night, and the schedule changes weekly.
“Most of our lane and ramp closures are at night, between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m., when traffic is less heavy,” she said. “That also helps us keep disruptions at a minimum. ... We inform the public in advance about lane closures via news releases, the project website, and District 7 social media. Our goal is to make sure drivers have up-to-date information on maintenance of traffic as they plan their day.”
The team of contractors and KYTC personnel work in traffic, which is notoriously dangerous. Lacy said that KYTC’s safety coordinators and engineering teams work to ensure contractors meet safety standards. This includes barrier walls to separate work areas from traffic. In addition, required barrels and warning signs are used to alert traffic, and speed limits have been reduced to help ensure both workers and those in vehicles are protected. There have been no safety incidents on this project.
ATS Construction, headquartered in Lexington, has a longstanding relationship with KYTC. With roots that go back to the early 1990s in the Lexington market, the company specializes in complex roadway construction and improvements.
The ownership of ATS, according to the company’s website, “participated in the initial construction of many sections of the interstate and parkway system in Kentucky during the 1960s and 1970s. Now that capacity has increased, ATS Construction is working to widen and improve the safety of the interstate system across central and southern Kentucky.”
Between their extensive experience and being a local contractor, the I-64/I-75 widening projects sit squarely in the wheelhouse of ATS.
The project covering Newtown Pike to Paris Pike was the first to begin, in the fall of 2023. It is slated to wrap in the fall of 2025.
“The key to completing the project on time has been solid teamwork,” Tipton said. “ATS has worked closely with us from day one, and together we’ve been able to adjust plans as needed to get the job done.”
The project covering Paris Pike to the southern split began in the spring of 2024, and completion is expected by 2026.
“To keep the work crews safe and get the project done on time, we’re keeping the new lane on the southbound side of the first project closed until the second project is complete,” Tipton said. “That will allow a smoother project progression.”
When the I-64/I-75 widening projects are complete, interstate travel in Lexington will be faster, easier, and safer. The extra lane in each direction will minimize congestion and let traffic flow freely regardless of the hour of the day. Drivers will also enjoy a safer ride, as the crash rate is expected to drop substantially.
- Owner: Kentucky Transportation Cabinet
- General Contractor: ATS Construction, Lexington, Kentucky
- Designers: HDR Engineering, Omaha, Nebraska; Palmer Engineering, Winchester, Kentucky Photos courtesy of Nicolas Volosky, KYTC
