Heads up: Long-term closure planned for Lexington’s Legacy Trail
A section of the Legacy Trail in Lexington will be blocked off for an extended period of time starting next week as crews work on a construction project on Newtown Pike, according to the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet.
Beginning Monday, the section of the Legacy Trail between Newtown Springs Drive and Citation Boulevard will be closed. The transportation cabinet said pedestrians and bicyclists can reroute around the closure by using Citation Boulevard to Newtown Center Way to Newtown Springs Drive from the north, or by going the opposite direction from the south.
Pedestrians are encouraged to use sidewalks on the detour. The transportation cabinet said the closed section of walkway will reopen once work is complete, but a timeline for when it might reopen was not provided.
The closure is part of the Newtown Pike widening project, which aims to improve traffic flow on Newtown Pike while improving safety for people using the Legacy Trail. According to the transportation cabinet, about 44,000 vehicles use Newtown Pike daily, and by 2030, that number is expected to rise to 70,500.
One lane of traffic will be added in each direction of Newtown Pike from New Circle Road to Interstate 75, according to the transportation cabinet. The project will also redesign the Legacy Trail by adding a 12-foot-by-8-foot pedestrian underpass just south of Citation Boulevard, constructing 1,200 feet of new trail that connects to Newtown Court and realigns the trail.
The Legacy Trail is a 12-mile shared-use greenway trail that starts in downtown Lexington and ends near the Kentucky Horse Park.
Construction is expected to be completed in spring 2027, according to the transportation cabinet. The project cost about $28 million.
