Newly Built Intersections in Elizabethtown and Greater Hardin County Show Success in Reducing Crashes and Injuries
Includes data added to a 2023 RCUTs report and preliminary figures from new roundabout
ELIZABETHTOWN, Ky. (Nov. 22, 2024) – Improving transportation for Kentuckians is a Team Kentucky priority, and newly built restricted crossing U-turn (RCUT) intersections and roundabouts along highways in Elizabethtown and greater Hardin County continue to show reductions in crashes and injuries thanks to innovative designs. Recent analysis from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) shows these innovative solutions are making roadways safer and traffic flow better for area travelers.
“We’re seeing that these innovative intersection designs are supporting our goal of making sure highways we all use in getting to work, home or school are safer,” said Chief District Engineer Bradley Bottoms of KYTC District 4 in Elizabethtown. "We’re seeing a significant reduction in crashes and injuries, as well as travel delays, and expect to see these trends continue in years to come.”
Transportation engineers looked at before-construction and after-construction crash data in Hardin County for 10 RCUTs and 11 roundabouts completed within the last three years.
RCUTs, which use median crossovers to eliminate side-street left turns, and roundabouts are intersection designs being incorporated more often in highway projects today to promote a freer and safer flow of traffic.
Analysis of data through October for RCUTs along the U.S. 31W corridor improvement project completed in 2022 from Saint John Road to Crutz Lane and for six standalone RCUTs in Hardin County showed:
- a combined 48% reduction in the annual average of crashes (from 267 per year before construction to 138 per year afterward)
- an 82% reduction in injuries (from 44 per year to 8 per year) since opening
Similar data was found when analyzing the performance of 11 new roundabouts in Hardin County. Since opening – between one and three years, depending on the intersection – there has been:
- a 31% reduction in total crashes (from 33 per year before construction to 23 per year afterward)
- an 81% reduction in injuries (from 6 per year to 1 per year)
Preliminary monitoring of both the RCUTs and roundabouts by engineering staff also found a reduction in traffic delays for motorists.
As with these locally built locations, RCUTs and roundabouts are effective at improving safety and efficiency in nearly all cases where they are implemented on roadways. Both designs eliminate multiple points of conflict where vehicles cross paths with each other, including at right angles, which reduces the risk of severe crashes and promotes freer traffic flow.
“This trend toward fewer crashes, fewer injuries and fewer traffic delays matches data seen in national studies of RCUTs and roundabouts,” Bottoms said. “More importantly, it means these designs can be successful tools in building a safer, more efficient highway system here and across Kentucky.”
It’s expected that both RCUTs and roundabouts will be a part of Team Kentucky’s effort to improve highway safety across the state, including in Elizabethtown and the District 4 region.
A project currently being developed on U.S. 62 at the U.S. 31W bypass is expected to feature two roundabouts, with one at each set of ramps on the west and east sides below the bypass bridge. The project also seeks to address railroad complications in accessing Nicholas Street from U.S. 62. In another set of projects, new RCUTs are planned for Patriot Parkway at Providence Way and Hutcherson Lane.
In addition, the City of Elizabethtown was recently awarded a "Safe Streets for All" grant for U.S. 31W on the south side of town and the U.S. 62/Ring Road intersection on the west side of town. KYTC District 4 engineers and staff will work with the city on these projects, which are on state-maintained routes, with safer designs in mind.
For educational information on RCUTs, roundabouts and other innovative highway designs – including fact sheets, diagrams, and video overviews – visit the Transportation Cabinet’s SAFERoad Solutions website at https://transportation.ky.gov/saferoadsolutions/.
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