City of Bowling Green
The Shive Lane Extension (Ken Bale Boulevard) project was completed and opened in May. This project included a new roundabout at the intersection with Middle Bridge Road along with a new connection to Lovers Lane and a multi-use path. Widening of the existing Shive Lane section from two lanes to three up to Middle Bridge Road was also completed as part of this project.
The 2-lane portion of the Cave Mill Road corridor, from Dishman Lane to Grider Pond 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 February, the City contracted with a consultant to complete a topographic survey of the entire corridor as well as 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 expected to continue through the end of 2023.
Construction on the first of four new roundabouts along Westen Street began in 2022. A roundabout and associated improvements to Westen at Rockingham Avenue were completed in the Summer of 2022. The intersections of Highland Way, Patrick Way, and Ashley Circle were also selected for roundabout construction. 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 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. Construction on the Ashley Circle/Westen Roundabout began in June and will be completed late Summer. The Patrick Way/Westen roundabout construction will immediately follow.
The existing intersections with Ashley Circle and Scottsville Rd. – Ashley Circle (north) at Wilkinson Trace and Ashley Circle (south) at Ashley St. – were originally constructed approximately 50 years ago. Since then, development along the Ashley Circle corridor has continued to increase. The result of this growth are long delays experienced by motorists at these two signalized intersections. To reduce these delays, the City proposes installation of dedicated right turn lanes at both locations to allow motorists to make right turns without waiting for vehicles going straight to clear each intersection. Construction was completed and the new traffic lanes were open to the public in late June.
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 and are currently in the design phase. The Sidewalk Maintenance Program identifies the process by which staff inspects and choses which areas will be inspected in a given year. Depending on funding, the City can correct safety hazards in hundreds of locations across the city per year.
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 Lover’s Lane. These locations are currently in the design phase.
The Public Works Department continues to work with the City’s Neighborhood & Community Services Department to provide better pedestrian connections throughout town. A Transportation Improvement Program (TAP) grant was awarded to the City in conjunction with the Greenways Commission 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. Construction is set to begin later 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. Construction began in June and is expected to continue through the fall to address minor maintenance issues as well include painting of the bridge.
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 Veteran’s Memorial.