One of Louisville's most notoriously unsafe highways will get a redesign.
A $16.9 million federal grant will aim to modernize and improve safety on the stretch of Dixie Highway from Broadway to the Gene Snyder Freeway. The funding was announced Monday by Mayor Greg Fischer, Gov. Steve Beshear and U.S. Rep John Yarmuth.
The project will improve traffic signals to reduce delays for motorists and install improved sidewalks, crosswalks and new bus stops, according to a city news release. The stops will be able to accommodate Bus Rapid Transit, a system found in other cities in which lanes are designated only for buses.
The project will be funded through the federal TIGER program, plus $11.5 million from the state. Dixie Highway carries more than 60,000 vehicles per day and includes the area's busiest bus route.
But design issues have led to traffic congestion and safety problems. In the news release, the city said Dixie Highway has double the number of injury traffic accidents as similar roadways in the state.
“The name Dixie Highway is synonymous with traffic congestion, pedestrian deaths and vehicle accidents,” Fischer said in the news release.
“This project will transform Dixie Highway and make it safer for drivers and pedestrians. It will also make the commercial stretch more attractive and improve public transit along one of our city’s most important thoroughfares.”
(Image via osseous/Creative Commons)
