Lexington, Kentucky’s New Circle Road is a 19-mile urban principal arterial highway that serves as the city’s inner beltway. The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) and general contractor ATS Construction are in the middle of the New Circle Road (KY 4) Widening project to ensure the vital roadway continues to meet the needs of drivers.
New Circle Road is one of Lexington’s busiest corridors, carrying 40,000 to 60,000 vehicles per day depending on location. It serves as a critical connection between I-64/I-75, Blue Grass Airport, and the Bluegrass Parkway and is used by a mix of local, commuter, and commercial traffic.
The New Circle Road project is part of the Driving Lexington Progress program, which enables KYTC to meet the infrastructure needs of the city’s growing population. According to KYTC’s website, the program will “improve safety, ease traffic congestion, and add capacity to state transportation infrastructure in the growing central Kentucky city through $170 million in Kentucky Transportation Cabinet construction projects.”
Recent estimates place the Lexington-Fayette metro area population at approximately 354,000 in 2026. The area has been growing steadily over the years. Just 10 years ago, in 2016, the population was 318,000.
“This project addresses the last remaining segment of New Circle Road between Newtown Pike and Versailles Road that has not yet been widened to three lanes in each direction,” KYTC District 7 Branch Manager Logan Murphy said.
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“With continued growth in the region, this stretch has long been one of the city’s worst bottlenecks, impacting travel times, reliability, and safety,” Murphy added. “By widening this segment, we will ease congestion — ensuring Kentuckians are spending less time in traffic.”
In addition to adding a lane to New Circle Road over a 2.25-mile stretch, the project entails:
- Converting an interchange to a Double Crossover Diamond (DCD) interchange.
- Widening a small portion of Leestown Road (U.S. 421) as part of the interchange improvements.
- Installing drainage improvements, including culverts and stormwater systems.
- Adding nearly 4,000 feet of noise walls.
- Adding sidewalks around the interchange.
- Reconstructing two bridges — one over Leestown Road and one over the Norfolk Southern railroad. Both are being fully replaced in phases to maintain traffic, with the existing structures removed once new bridges are complete.
Murphy said the converted interchange is a key part of the solution.
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“DCDs are proven to move higher volumes of traffic more smoothly and efficiently, and to improve overall traffic flow,” he said. “They also enhance safety by simplifying movements through the intersection and reducing conflict points, most notably left turns across oncoming traffic.”
When finished, this upgrade will complete the ongoing work to widen New Circle Road to three lanes in each direction between Newtown Pike and Versailles Road.
Managing construction in the tight corridor has been one of the most complex aspects of the project, according to Murphy.
Crews are building a combination of mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) walls, soldier pile walls, sound walls, traditional gravity walls, and others, each with different design requirements and sequencing needs. Coordinating how and when each of these elements is constructed requires careful planning, Murphy said, especially given the limited space available.
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The space has also affected how the equipment is staged. The project has required the use of large-capacity cranes to set structural elements and support bridge construction.
“Given the scale of the work and the constrained environment, these cranes must be carefully positioned and coordinated within tight work zones and with railroad operations and overhead utilities in mind,” Murphy said.
“This equipment allows the team to safely and efficiently complete technically demanding portions of the project while working within the corridor’s physical and operational constraints,” he added.
Another challenge was minimizing the impact on traffic, since New Circle Road carries high daily traffic volumes and Leestown Road is a major arterial for Lexington. For every construction decision the team makes, they must account for how traffic will be maintained and safely guided through the work zone.
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“To address this, we’ve implemented detailed phasing plans, with a strong emphasis on traffic control,” Murphy said. “That includes clearly communicating upcoming traffic pattern changes to the public in advance and ensuring all on-site signage is accurate, visible, and easy to follow.”
It also requires coordination with the city, local services, the public, and the contractor. According to Murphy, that approach has allowed the project to move forward while keeping this critical corridor operational.
The project has also required several specialized pieces of equipment. The team used micropiles to support the bridge over the Norfolk Southern railroad.
“Installing these requires a specialized drilling rig designed specifically for micropile construction,” Murphy said. “This equipment allows crews to drill deep, narrow foundations in limited space and in challenging soil conditions, which is critical for maintaining stability near the corridor.”
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Located in Lexington, ATS Construction has been a fixture in the city since the 1960s. According to the ATS website, the “ownership of the company participated in the initial construction of many sections of the interstate and parkway system in Kentucky during the 1960s and 1970s.”
ATS has completed multiple projects with KYTC, including some in the Lexington area.
“The project team’s experience working with ATS has helped establish a strong working relationship and a clear understanding of expectations on both sides,” Murphy said.
One of the company’s key strengths, according to Murphy, is their coordination and communication abilities.
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“The project team holds regular bi-weekly coordination meetings with ATS to review upcoming work, address potential challenges early, and make timely decisions,” Murphy said. “That level of collaboration has been critical in managing a complex project while keeping construction on track.”
KYTC is also impressed with ATS’s ability to plan, adapt to changing conditions, and maintain progress while prioritizing safety and traffic flow, which has made them a strong partner on this project.
The project is currently on track financially, with a construction budget of $62.7 million. Funding for the project is being provided by the federal and state governments.
Construction on the project began in the fall of 2023 and is scheduled to be completed in the summer of 2027, on time. However, the team expects to complete most of the work on Leestown Road, including the new DCD interchange, in the latter part of 2026 and open it to traffic then.
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Murphy credits regular coordination meetings between the project team and the contractor for helping identify potential challenges early, enabling timely adjustments that keep work moving forward.
“Timely project progression depends on careful phasing, consistent coordination, and proactive issue management,” Murphy said.
When the New Circle Road project is finished, it will increase capacity, improve safety, and create a smoother, safer drive along one of Lexington’s busiest corridors. The improvements will provide better access to jobs, schools, health care, and other destinations while meeting the travel needs of Kentuckians.
- Owner/Engineer: Kentucky Transportation Cabinet
- General Contractor: ATS Construction, Lexington, Kentucky
- Designer: HDR, Omaha, Nebraska
