City of Bowling Green
The 2-lane portion of the Cave Mill Road corridor, from Dishman Lane to Scottsville Road, received design funds in the most recent KYTC Enacted Highway Plan in an effort to reduce congestion and increase safety in an area that has seen a tremendous growth in traffic in recent years. In 2023, the City contracted with a consultant to complete a design for roadway widening, intersection enhancements, and drainage improvements. An 8-foot wide multi-use path is also proposed along the length of the project to encourage pedestrian mobility. Roadway and utility design work is currently expected to be complete this fall.
Construction on the four new roundabouts along Westen Street at the intersections of Rockingham Avenue, Highland Way, Patrick Way, and Ashley Circle began in 2022. Converting these all-way stop controlled intersections to roundabouts will help alleviate the delay motorists routinely experience, especially during the PM peak hour. All four roundabouts will have approximately the same dimensions and will be sized to easily convey passenger vehicles, schools buses, and fire trucks. Each roundabout will incorporate raised splitter islands to separate entering and exiting traffic as well as accommodations for current and future sidewalks. The roundabout and associated improvements to Westen at 3 of the 4 locations have been completed. Construction at the final intersection of Highland Way will begin late spring 2024.
The City of Bowling Green and Natcher Parkway Holdings LLC recently executed a cost sharing and property donation agreement for the extension of Bluegrass Farms Blvd. from its current termination near Camping World to a new intersection with Plano Rd. across from Sylvia Way. Construction of the new roadway will match existing Bluegrass Farms Blvd. (3-lanes, curb and gutter, sidewalk, etc.). Utility design is being finalized and construction is anticipated to be underway this summer. When complete, this project will offer additional opportunities for economic development as well as an alternate travel route between Scottsville Rd. and Plano Rd.
The City is committed to providing a walkable community and therefore the City allocates funds to build new sidewalks in areas that show a need. Each year candidate projects are prioritized based upon a set scoring system to determine where funds will be spent. Current locations include portions of sidewalk on Morgantown Rd., Creekwood Avenue, Rodes Drive, Riverwood Avenue, and Rockingham Ave. Designs for these locations are complete and property acquisition is nearing completion for several of these sections. Construction is expected to begin in Spring 2024 on Creekwood, Rodes and Riverwood.
The City’s newly implemented Greenways Program mimics the Sidewalk program where candidate projects are ranked and selected annually based upon allocated funding. The locations selected to receive new greenways this year include portions of Smallhouse Road, Bryant Way and Lovers Lane. Design is nearing completion and construction is anticipated this summer.
The Public Works Department continues to work with the City’s Neighborhood & Community Services Department to provide better pedestrian connections throughout town. A Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) grant was awarded to the City that will provide pedestrian and bicycle connections between existing downtown greenways facilities, key destinations in the West End, and will ultimately improve problematic intersection crossings. The project will commence this summer. Most recently the City was awarded a TAP grant in the amount of $1.6M to restore the College Street Pedestrian Bridge, a historic landmark and future gateway to the Riverfront Park development. The repairs and painting were completed this spring. Additionally, a grant was also secured to repair deficient sidewalk and drive entrances within the Census Tract 102.1 in the downtown area. Along with the repairs, the project will include a road diet along College Street between Riverview Drive and 6th Ave, similar to what was completed on the adjacent segment of State Street. This project also entails replacing 55 stop signs with decorative stop signs. This project is ongoing.
Another design project underway is the Greenhill Street Extension. This project will connect what is now a stub street in the Whispering Hills Neighborhood to Veterans Memorial Lane and give the residents another access to the neighborhood. There is a traffic signal proposed at this location by the development across Veterans Memorial Lane, therefore, providing a safer point of entry than the neighborhood entrance on Russellville Road. An 8’ multi-use path is also planned along the extension to provide a connection between the existing Creekwood Greenway and the greenway along Veterans Memorial. Design is complete for the road and greenway extension and property acquisition is pending.
The City’s annual paving contract was awarded late in 2023 and has begun. The annual project will address various pavement defects and approximately 13 miles of resurfacing throughout the City.