New Circle Road is the highest severe injury corridor and one of the highest pedestrian crash corridors in Lexington. According to the 2023 Lexington-Fayette Safety Action Plan, the project area of New Circle Road experienced 2,282 crashes between 2015 and 2021. While much of New Circle Road operates as a freeway, this section of the corridor runs alongside neighborhoods and businesses, exposing pedestrians and cyclists to high-speed traffic. You can learn more from the New Circle Road Study.

Northeast New Circle Road is being improved to create a safer travel experience along one of Lexington’s most important roads. This project will span 1.8 miles, providing safety enhancements from Bryan Station Road to Development Drive. The safety improvements are planned to include shared use paths, pedestrian crossing enhancements, and four “Restricted Crossing U-Turn Intersections (RCUTs). While less common than traditional four-way intersections, RCUTs have been proven to prevent crashes and signalized RCUTs offer an effective and safe way for pedestrians to cross wide arterial streets like New Circle Road.

This project has been strategically located to create safer travel conditions for various neighborhoods along Northeast New Circle Road. This includes Castlewood, Bryan Station, Elkhorn Park, Green Acres, Hollow Creek, and Breckenridge.

This project is was awarded a federal grant from the US Department of Transportation’s Safe Streets and Roads for All program. With this grant, a significant portion of the $35 million investment in New Circle Road is covered by federal funds.

You can provide comments and input at the public meeting on November 6th. Please click below to find details about the upcoming public meeting.