KY 18 (Burlington Pike) Widening

Project Information

Facility: KY 18 (Burlington Pike)

Location: Springfield Boulevard to KY 338 (Jefferson Street)

Project Type: Roadway Widening/Relocation/New Facility

Priority Level: Tier 2

Project Description:

  • Widen KY 18 (Burlington Pike) from two to four or five lanes from Springfield Boulevard to KY 338 (Jefferson Street) to improve safety and capacity for truck and vehicular traffic.
  • Provide multi-use paths along one or both sides of the roadway to improve multi-modal safety.

Cost Estimate:

Design Utilities Right of Way Construction TOTAL
$2,630,000 $1,750,000 $8,750,000 $17,500,000 $30,630,000

Benefits:

  • Improvements to this section of roadway will prevent future crashes resulting from geometric deficiencies.
  • The project will improve capacity for along this section of roadway.
  • Installation of bicycle and pedestrian facilities along this section of roadway will provide a direct connection from the existing and future residential development to the pedestrian network in downtown Burlington.
  • The proposed multi-use paths align with Boone County’s overall goal of improved bicycle and pedestrian safety and connectivity. Click HERE for a map of multi-use paths in Boone County.

Challenges:

  • Additional right-of-way will be needed to implement improvements.
  • The eastern project limit is in historic downtown Burlington. There is a National Register of Historic Places property located in the north-east quadrant of the KY 18 intersection with KY 338.
  • The proposed roadway improvements will require crossing Allen Fork.

Existing Conditions

Functional Classification: Major Collector

Existing ADT: 5,900 vehicles per day

2040 Forecasted ADT: 9,700 vehicles per day

Truck Volume: 10%

Congestion:

  • Existing KY 18 (Burlington Pike) is a two-lane facility that connects western Boone County to Burlington, I-71/75 and other arterials in the County.
  • KY 18 is a primary truck route for industries and farms in western Boone County.
  • Expanded residential land use is expected along KY 18 which will increase the traffic volumes along the corridor.

Land Use/Socio-Economic/Environmental:

  • Currently KY 18 serves rural, residential and commercial land uses.  It also is a primary route for trucks from industries in western Boone County.
  • The eastern project limit is located in historic downtown Burlington.
  • By year 2040, population in the project area is expected to grow by approximately 3,500 households.

Safety: 

  • There are existing geometric deficiencies along the route which consist of narrow shoulders, sharp curves and narrow lanes which can be dangerous for trucks, vehicles, and bicycles.
  • The existing crash rate along the roadway is less than the statewide average.  However, there was a fatality along this section of roadway within the five-year period from 2012 through 2016.  This head-on crash occurred in a curve, which suggests that geometric deficiencies consisting of sharp curves, narrow shoulders narrow lanes, and superelevation were a likely contributing factor.

Multi-Modal:

  • On the eastern end of the project limits, there is an 850-foot segment with sidewalks along both sides of KY 18. The existing and proposed sidewalks connect to a network of dedicated pedestrian facilities throughout downtown Burlington and along KY 18.