US 23 Turn Lane, Safety Project to Begin at Cassady Blvd-US 119 Intersection in Pikeville
Work starts Aug. 8 with lane closures next 4-5 weeks
PIKEVILLE, Ky. (Aug. 3, 2022) – An important US 23 turn-lane extension and safety upgrade at the Cassady Boulevard-US 119 intersection in Pikeville will start Monday.
Work includes making the northbound US 23 turn lanes longer to make room for more vehicles turning into Cassady Boulevard, redoing the intersection signal system to increase efficiency, and resurfacing US 23 travel lanes.
The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet has been working on the project since last year to reduce backups on US 23 and improve overall traffic safety.
Construction for the project is expected to significantly impact traffic and motorists are advised to plan for delays.
“These upgrades will reduce crashes and protect people who rely on this major east Kentucky highway, so the sooner we can do it, the more people we can protect,” said Mary Westfall-Holbrook, Kentucky Department of Highways District 12 chief district engineer. “We are working with contractors to speed up the project and hope that it can be completed in a minimal amount of time.”
Beginning Monday, Aug. 8, contractors will start work at the US 23 and US 119-Cassady Boulevard intersection two miles north of downtown Pikeville to remove the US 23 median and extend turn lanes.
Motorists should expect lane closures on US 23 and US 119 during construction. For the first couple of weeks, the following traffic impacts are expected:
- Northbound US 23 left thru lane closed between Ratliff Creek Road and Cassady Boulevard turn lanes.
- Far left turn lane closed from northbound US 23 onto Cassady Boulevard.
- On US 23 southbound, the left thru lane closed from the intersection to Ratliff Creek Road, and one left-turn lane closed from US 23 to US 119.
- On US 119, far left turn lane closed coming from Buckleys Creek to southbound US 23.
Construction will continue for four to five weeks, through mid-September, and will include overhead traffic signal work and paving operations. During that time, motorists should watch for possible flagged traffic at the intersection and US 23 lane closures between the US 23-US 119 intersection (milepoint 26.3) and the KY 1460 overpass downtown (milepoint 24.7).
With about 34,000 vehicles a day using US 23 in the area, lane closures and other changes could create significant delays. Motorists should plan travel accordingly or seek alternate routes during construction.
Road work schedules are subject to change depending on weather conditions. Motorists are asked to heed all warning signs, slow down in work zones and remain aware of workers and construction equipment when traveling.
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