Public invited to weigh in on major overhaul of deadly section of New Circle Road
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- Public invited to weigh in on redesign of 1.8-mile New Circle Road corridor in northeast Lexington.
- Plan adds shared-use paths, improved pedestrian crossings and R-cuts to reduce crashes.
- Project won $22M federal Safe Streets grant; construction timeline remains unclear.
A dangerous section of New Circle Road on Lexington’s north side will be redesigned to help eliminate crashes. The public has been invited to weigh in on how to make the roadway safer.
The proposed redesign of the roughly 1.8-mile section between Development Drive and Bryan Station Road includes shared-use paths, better pedestrian crossings and R-cuts, which restrict right turns on roadways.
The section of New Circle Road is busy with multiple traffic lights and lots of pedestrian traffic. City data shows there were more than 2,282 significant crashes in that area between 2015 and 2021.
“In addition to addressing the safety concerns, this effort aims to redesign the roadway to better serve the needs of local residents and ensure that all persons can utilize and cross New Circle safely and comfortably,” said Chris Evilia, executive director of the Metropolitan Planning Organization, which helps oversee transportation planning for the area,
“Our goal is to produce a roadway design consistent with the vision identified by Lexington residents within the Imagine New Circle Road study completed in 2022 and incorporated within the Imagine Lexington 2045 Plan.”
The neighborhoods most affected by the redesign include Castlewood, Bryan Station, Elkhorn Park, Green Acres, Hollow Creek and Breckenridge neighborhoods in northeast Lexington.
Community members can learn more about the project and provide feedback at a public meeting 4:30-7 p.m. Nov. 6, at Northern Elementary, 340 Rookwood Parkway. The meeting will be held in an “open house” style, meaning residents can choose to arrive at any time during the meeting.
It’s not clear when construction will begin.
The project is a joint effort between the city of Lexington and the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet.
The project was awarded a $22 million federal grant from the US Department of Transportation’s Safe Streets and Roads for All program.
It is the largest federal transportation grant in the city’s history.
This story was originally published October 14, 2025 at 1:26 PM.
