Heads up: New Circle Road ramps on busy Lexington road are shutting down soon
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- New Circle ramps at Leestown close 10 p.m. Sunday through Nov. 26 with detours.
- Ramps reopen limited Nov. 26 allowing only right turns; left turns blocked until Dec. 5.
- Project widens New Circle, shifts Leestown lanes and targets summer 2027 completion.
Drivers in Lexington won’t be able to enter or exit New Circle Road at Leestown Road for several weeks beginning Sunday, Nov. 9, according to the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet.
The closure will go into effect at 10 p.m. Sunday and last through 5 p.m. Nov. 26. The transportation cabinet said there will be detours in place, marked by signs and electronic message boards.
Drivers on New Circle Road looking to access Leestown Road should exit at Georgetown Road and take Citation Boulevard. Drivers on Leestown Road looking to access New Circle Road should do the opposite — take Citation Boulevard to Georgetown Road.
The ramps will reopen in limited capacity Nov. 26. The transportation cabinet said drivers will only be able to turn right to and from Leestown Road, while left turns in the interchange will remain blocked until Dec. 5.
Leestown Road traffic, which is down to only one lane, will switch from the left lane to the right lane Nov. 26. The transportation cabinet said it hopes to return Leestown Road traffic to two lanes in each direction by the end of the year.
Officials made the decision to shut down the exit ramps to and from Leestown Road to speed up the widening and interchange reconstruction project that has been ongoing in the area for months, the transportation cabinet said.
Traffic on Leestown Road will be able to continue traveling through the interchange to and from downtown Lexington while the ramps are closed, the transportation cabinet said.
“Our goal is to reduce the current traffic congestion at the interchange while advancing the project’s schedule,” said Kelly Baker, chief district engineer for Kentucky Transportation Cabinet District 7 in Lexington. “We appreciate the public’s patience as we continue progress toward a safer, better interchange.”
The project is part of a larger push to boost traffic capacity on New Circle Road between Versailles Road and Newtown Pike, converting it to three lanes in both directions.
Construction workers are also converting the Leestown-New Circle Road interchange into a double-crossover diamond, an interchange with two signalized intersections where traffic between the intersections crosses over to the left side of the roadway, then back over to the right as it exits.
According to the transportation cabinet, these types of interchanges offer several benefits, including fewer delays because the traffic signals they use operate with fewer phases. They’re also known to improve safety, decrease potential crash points, prevent wrong-way ramp entries and reduce speeds to minimize the severity of crashes that do occur.
Construction is expected to be completed in the summer of 2027, according to the transportation cabinet.
