LEXINGTON, Ky. — Lexington’s second Double Crossover Diamond (DCD) interchange opened to traffic on Oct. 4 at Leestown Road (US 421) and New Circle Road (KY 4), marking a major milestone in the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet’s New Circle Road Widening Project. Leestown Road between Taylor Dri ve and Opportunity Way has also reopened, along with Exit 7 on New Circle Road, following a weekend closure that allowed crews to complete final work transitioning traffic into the new interchange configuration. During the closure, workers placed approximately 3,100 tons of asphalt, installed new traffic signals and lighting, and completed curb, sidewalk and permanent pavement markings. “Opening this interchange is a significant step forward for the New Circle Road corridor and for the thousands of people who travel through this area every day,” said KYTC District 7 Chief Engineer Kelly Baker in a statement. “We appreciate everyone’s patience, and we ask drivers to take their time, follow the signs and pavement markings, and give themselves a few trips through the interchange to get comfortable with the new traffic pattern.” The Leestown Road/New Circle Road DCD is the second of its kind in Lexington, following the Harrodsburg Road/New Circle Road interchange that opened in 2011. After that interchange opened, crashes along the corridor dropped 63% during the first two full years compared to the previous two-year period, with traffic queues reduced by roughly half. The new interchange features three lanes of New Circle Road in each direction with a paved median and barrier wall, new sidewalks along Leestown Road, and a sound barrier wall on the inner loop from Leestown Road to the Norfolk Southern railroad bridge. A Double Crossover Diamond briefly shifts traffic to the left side of the roadway between two signalized intersections, allowing drivers to make left turns onto ramps without crossing opposing traffic, reducing conflict points and improving traffic flow. The overall New Circle Road Widening Project, which will widen the roadway between Leestown Road and Georgetown Road and improve pedestrian accommodations, remains on track for completion in summer 2027. The corridor currently handles more than 35,000 vehicles daily. Sources KYTC District 7 Press Releases KYTC Safe Roads Solutions: Double Crossover Diamond Interchange Driving Lexington Progress: New Circle Road Widening Project This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) based on source material from KYTC District 7 Press Releases. The original source is available at https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/KYTC/bulletins/42dee0f. View in feeds The post Lexington’s second double crossover diamond opens at Leestown and New Circle appeared first on The Lexington Times. ...read more read less