Work to ramp up on KY 56/KY 81 roundabout at Owensboro starting Tuesday | Transportation

A contractor for the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet plans to ramp up work on the new roundabout at the intersection of KY 56 and KY 81 at Owensboro starting Tuesday, March 12.

While utility work has been evident along the right-of-way for several months, warming weather is allowing the contractor to move into construction mode.

One of the first items is the construction of a diversion for KY 81 traffic.  The diversion will eventually allow traffic to be moved out of the existing intersection to allow work to start on the new roundabout.

Even with the increased level of construction activity starting Tuesday, impact on traffic flow should continue to be minimal until the diversion is nearing completion.  Motorists should be alert for flaggers, equipment, and construction personnel working near traffic flow.

This work zone at the southwest edge of Owensboro is at KY 56 mile point 14.1 and KY 81 mile point 11.036.

The intersection of KY 81/Calhoun-Owensboro Road and KY 56/West Parrish Avenue handles about 13,000 vehicles each day.

While roundabouts have been widely used across the country, this is only the fifth for a Kentucky highway.

Yager Materials, LLC, of Owensboro is the prime contractor on the $1,435,918 highway improvement project. The roundabout, targeted to be ready for traffic at the end of 2013, is aimed at improving safety and traffic flow at the busy intersection.

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