The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) on Wednesday announced the schedule for major travel restrictions that will be in place over the weekend at the I-71/75 and Mt. Zion Road — KY 536 — interchange so that crews can prepare to open a new double crossover diamond (DCD) interchange in time for the Monday morning commute.
Friday, Oct. 14 – Monday, Oct. 17, weather permitting:
Beginning at 8 p.m. Friday, ALL access ramps to and from I-71/75 north and southbound will be CLOSED at the Mt. Zion Road (KY 536) interchange.
• The exit ramp from I-71/75 northbound to Mt. Zion Rd. (KY 536) will be CLOSED and will remain closed all weekend.
• The on-ramp to I-71/75 northbound from Mt. Zion Rd. (KY 536) will be CLOSED and will remain closed all weekend.
• The exit ramp from I-71/75 southbound to Mt. Zion Rd. (KY 536) will be CLOSED and will remain closed all weekend.
• The on-ramp to I-71/75 southbound from Mt. Zion Rd. (KY 536) will be CLOSED and will remain closed all weekend.
In addition, at 8 p.m. Friday Mt. Zion Road will be closed between Tiburon Drive and Biltmore Boulevard. A detour using KY 237 (Gunpowder Road), US 42, KY 1829 (Industrial Road), and US 25 (Dixie Highway) will be put in place and marked with signage.
By 5 a.m. Monday, Mt. Zion Road (KY 536) and all access ramps to and from the interchange will be reopened, and the new interchange pattern will be in place. For more information on how to navigate a double crossover diamond (also referred to as a diverging diamond), please visit our Street Talk page.
In a double crossover diamond interchange, traffic through an interchange follows clearly defined curbs, signs, pavement markings and state-of-the-art signals to move briefly over to the left side of the road. This eliminates left turns against oncoming traffic. Drivers who need to continue through the interchange then cross back to the right side of the road, leading to the “double crossover” name.
“We expect the improvements at the I-71/75 and Mt. Zion Road interchange to improve safety, reduce travel time delays, and provide better connections to local destinations and a growing number of businesses in the area,” said Bob Yeager, Chief District Engineer for KYTC’s District 6 Office. “We also realize that it may take some time for drivers to adjust to the new travel pattern and our crews will be closely monitoring traffic when the interchange reopens Monday morning,” Yeager said. “We will make adjustments to traffic signal timing to ensure traffic is moving efficiently through the new interchange.”
Yeager added that motorists should continue to use caution in the project area saying, “Even though the new travel pattern will be in place, this will still be a very active construction area with crews continuing to work on ongoing improvements. Please be mindful of crews working in the project area through the remainder of the year.”
Project information and updates can be found at DrivingNKYProgress.org.
Kentucky Transportation Cabinet