Kentucky Transportation Cabinet

Office of Public Affairs

For Immediate Release
July 2, 2008

Media contact: Chuck Wolfe
Chuck.Wolfe@ky.gov

GOVERNOR BESHEAR ANNOUNCES PLANS TO ADD MEDIAN CABLE BARRIERS IN FIVE COUNTIES
Governor ‘convinced that this action … will save lives’

FRANKFORT, Ky. (July 2, 2008) — Gov. Steve Beshear, taking action to save lives on Kentucky roads, today announced plans to add 44.2 miles of median cable barriers on sections of two heavily traveled divided highways.

“Protection of human health and safety is a fundamental responsibility of government,” the Governor said. “We are committed to making our highways safer, and I am convinced that this action I’m announcing today will result in lives saved and many serious injuries prevented.

“This is a first step in identifying problem ‘crossover’ crash areas on our interstate system. As additional money becomes available, we will continue to address priority areas,” the Governor said during news conferences in Louisville and Munfordville.

Under the Governor’s plan, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet will carry out the $10.8 million project in five sections.

One is KY 841 in Jefferson County, a 10.2-mile stretch of the Gene Snyder Freeway. It is the only part of the Snyder now lacking cable barriers in a median.

Four sections – totaling 33.9 miles – are along Interstate 65 in Bullitt, Hardin, Hart and Barren counties.

Median cables are a form of guardrail, designed to prevent crossover collisions on divided highways. Kentucky first installed median cables in September 2006 and now has 52.1 miles of median cables on sections of I-64 and I-265 in Jefferson County, I-71 in Jefferson and Oldham counties, and New Circle Road in Fayette County.

The cable barriers in Jefferson County have been struck 326 times by vehicles, preventing an estimated 269 potential crossovers. In Fayette County, barriers have been struck 59 times, with 30 potential crossovers prevented.

Sites for additional cable barriers were selected following an analysis of highway crash data ordered by Transportation Secretary Joe Prather.

“For some months, we have been committed to increased use of median cable barriers but wanted to ensure they were being placed where they could do the most good,” Prather said.

Future cable barrier projects:

• Hardin, I-65, 7.8 miles, from mile point 80.5 to 88.3 (Sonora, Glendale area)
• Hardin, I-65, 9.4 miles, from mile point 91.1 to 100.5 (Includes Muldraugh Hill)
• Jefferson, KY 841, 10.2 miles, from mile point 0 to 10.2 (Gene Snyder Freeway from I-65 to Dixie Highway)
• Hart and Barren, I-65, 10.5 miles, from mile point 52.4 to 62.9 (Horse Cave area)
• Bullitt, I-65, 6.2 miles, from mile point 109.4 to 115.6 (From I-65 crossover near Belmont to KY 480, just south of Shepherdsville)

Current locations of cable barriers:

• Jefferson, I-64, 2.9 miles, from mile point 8.7 to 11.6
• Jefferson and Oldham, I-71, 11.6 miles, from mile point .02 to 11.6
• Jefferson, I-265, 25.1 miles, from mile point 10.2 to 35.3 (Gene Snyder)
• Jefferson, I-64, 1.5 miles, from mile point 6.3 to 7.8
• Fayette, KY-4, 11.1 miles from 6.7 to 14.9 (New Circle Road)

(Editors note: Because of New Circle Road’s configuration, with Nicholasville Road being at mile point 0.0, mile points do not correspond to 11.1 miles.)

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