New ‘Continuous Green-T’ Intersection Coming to US 23 at KY 5 in Boyd County
Low-cost improvement project to reduce traffic delays, congestion
FLEMINGSBURG, Ky. (June 10, 2022) – Construction starts next week to improve the US 23 and KY 5 intersection at Bellefonte in Boyd County by reconfiguring it for “continuous green-T” traffic.
A continuous green-T is a low-cost intersection alternative that reduces congestion by allowing some traffic on a high-volume highway to move freely with a continuous green light.
Once construction is complete, the new US 23-KY 5 intersection will be like the one nearby at US 23 and Diederich Boulevard (KY 693) in Greenup County.
Here’s how it will work:
- Traffic on northbound US 23 coming from Ashland will not have to stop at the KY 5 traffic signal. Instead, both northbound lanes will have a continuous green signal allowing traffic to flow freely.
- On southbound US 23 going toward Ashland, the signal will stop traffic as usual – but in shorter cycles – to allow vehicles to cross to and from KY 5.
- On KY 5, traffic coming from Bellefonte can turn right or left onto US 23 at each green signal as usual – but also in shorter cycles. The key difference is that traffic turning left onto northbound US 23 toward Russell will cross into a new acceleration-merge lane and have several hundred feet to merge right into the free-flowing northbound US 23 traffic.
Overall, the intersection improvement project will reduce signal wait times and decrease the number of cars stopped at the traffic signal, thereby reducing traffic delays and congestion. There’s also a potential reduction in crashes associated with continuous green-T intersections.
Contractors will start work Monday, June 13, to reconfigure the US 23 and KY 5 intersection by building raised concrete medians, constructing a new northbound US 23 merge lane, installing traffic separation posts, restriping pavement, and updating signal equipment. Additional US 23 median work will take place between KY 5 and Hoods Creek.
During construction, the left lane of US 23 will be closed in both directions through the KY 5 intersection, and will remain closed around the clock to protect motorists from pavement drop-offs. Flagged traffic could be possible at times. Work will take until about June 24 to complete.
About 25,000 vehicles a day travel US 23 in the Ashland-Russell area. Motorists should be prepared for delays, or seek alternate routes to avoid backups during construction.
Work is being done by Mountain Enterprises, Inc., under a low-bid $266,997.75 Kentucky Transportation Cabinet contract.
For more information about continuous green-T intersections, and how they can help reduce congestion – especially on busy highways such as US 23 – please visit the Transportation Cabinet’s website at https://transportation.ky.gov/Congestion-Toolbox/Pages/Continuous-Green-T.aspx.
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