By BILL MARDIS, Editor Emeritus
Somerset — The new partial cloverleaf interchange in northern Burnside will open Thursday, February 12 after morning rush-hour traffic, if weather permits.
Kentucky Department of Highways engineers announced opening of the $25.3 million project during a news conference yesterday (Feb. 5) at District 8 offices on U.S. 27. They emphasized there is still work to be done and some of the ramps are temporary.
The interchange is a complicated maze of ramps designed to eliminate traffic congestion at the junction of four-lane U.S. 27, Ky. 90 and Ky. 1247. Mark Foster, project engineer, said existing traffic signals at the intersection will be removed and no lighted signals are planned at the interchange.
Signs will be installed at appropriate points at the interchange and Highway Department engineers advised the traveling public to “pay very close attention” to the signs until motorists familiarize themselves with the ramps.
Foster pointed out that north-south U.S. 27 between Somerset and Burnside is not affected by the partial cloverleaf interchange. U.S. 27 traffic will go beneath an interchange bridge.
Highway Department engineers prepared the following instructions to motorists negotiating the interchange:
FROM SOMERSET TO MONTICELLO –– Turn right onto ramp on the south side of Pitman Creek bridge on U.S. 27. Exit ramp onto old Highway 90 toward Monticello. Continue west across new bridge on Ky. 90 over Lake Cumberland toward Monticello.
FROM SOMERSET TO KY. 1247 (going north toward John Sherman Cooper Power Station) –– Turn right onto ramp on south side of Pitman Creek Bridge. Exit ramp onto old Highway 90 toward Monticello. Turn left off Highway 90 onto Cumberland Drive. Turn left again onto Highway 90 toward Ky. 1247. Cross over U.S. 27 on the new bridge and continue north on Ky. 1247.
FROM MONTICELLO TO SOMERSET –– Take Ky. 90 onto new road over U.S. 27. Take turning lane located in right lane. Cross railroad bridge and exit onto ramp. Circle around ramp toward Somerset. Exit ramp and continue north on U.S. 27.
FROM MONTICELLO TO WHITLEY CITY (through Burnside) –– Take Ky. 90 onto new road. Exit on first ramp toward Whitley City. Exit ramp and continue south on U.S. 27.
FROM KY. 1247 TO WHITLEY CITY (through Burnside) –– Take Ky. 1247 over railroad bridge and continue over U.S. 27. Turn left onto temporary ramp toward Whitley City. Exit ramp and continue south on U.S. 27.
FROM WHITLEY CITY TO KY. 1247 –– Take ramp directly after U.S. 27 bridge over Lake Cumberland. Continue on ramp, crossing railroad toward Ky. 1247. Merge onto Ky. 1247.
FROM WHITLEY CITY TO MONTICELLO –– Take ramp located directly after U.S. 27 bridge over Lake Cumberland. Continue on ramp, crossing the railroad toward Ky. 1247. Turn left onto Ky. 1247. Continue on Ky. 1247 over railroad bridge and continue over U.S. 27. Ky. 1247 turns into Highway 90. Continue west toward new Ky. 90 bridge over Lake Cumberland and toward Monticello.
FROM KY. 1247 TO SOMERSET –– Take Ky. 1247 and merge left onto ramp. Circle ramp toward Somerset. Exit ramp, merging onto north U.S. 27.
