A Highway Safety Improvement Project at Exit 7 on Interstate 165 in Warren County has Started
The interchange is being converted to a Double Crossover Diamond
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (April 11, 2025) – A Highway Safety Improvement Project (HSIP) at Interstate 165 Exit 7 U.S. 231 Morgantown Road in Bowling Green has started. The project will retrofit the current interchange to convert it to a Double Crossover Diamond (DCD) Interchange. While the road will remain open throughout the project, motorists will notice different traffic patterns during construction.
The speed limit on U.S. 231 has been lowered to 35 mph through the work zone. The 45-mph area has been extended north of the work zone to Veterans Memorial Highway. One lane in each direction on U.S. 231 is expected to be closed beginning Tuesday, April 15. Motorists should use caution while traveling through this section of roadway. The project is expected to be completed later this fall.
The current interchange bridge is not being replaced, as the retrofit to the DCD is utilizing the current footprint of the road.
The purpose of the project is to help improve safety and mobility along the U.S. 231 Morgantown Road corridor. Recent residential, commercial and school system developments have changed traffic patterns in the area.
“This project is a design for the future,” said Joe Plunk, Chief District 3 Engineer. “As this area of Warren County grows, this innovative interchange design will ensure a high level of mobility and safety over the traditional interchange into the future.”
A DCD is an interchange with two signalized intersections, where traffic between the intersections crosses over to the left side of the roadway. As vehicles exit the interchange, they return to the right side of the road. This design allows for vehicles to turn left onto and off freeway ramps without stopping or crossing opposing lanes of traffic. Right turns on and off freeway ramps occur either before or after the crossover intersections.
There are multiple benefits to DCD’s including enhancements to safety, efficiency and mobility. DCD’s reduce wrong-way entries to ramps, limit the number of ways opposing traffic crosses paths, and decrease the number of crash points for vehicles. DCD’s also operate with fewer traffic signal phases which decrease delays and increase volume of traffic that can be served by the signals. The design also provides motorists with easier access to I-165 without having to cross opposing traffic.
To learn more about DCD’s and how to use them please click here to go to the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet’s Safer Road Solutions website.
Scotty’s Contracting & Stone LLC was awarded the contract in January in the amount of $2.4 million.
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