Study On RCUTs On US 31W Shows Successes

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet says the RCUTs along US 31W In Elizabethtown are showing success in what they were designed to accomplish. “From both the safety and efficiency standpoint, we were very pleased with the results of the North Dixie RCUT project by the Kentucky Department of Transportation.. In 2022, we saw a 41% reduction in collisions and of those collisions, those involving injuries were also reduced by just over 41%. With traffic volume on the rise, it’s imperative that proactive steps are implemented to minimize its impact. This is firm proof that engineering efforts were effective, and quite honestly, we are excited to see the outcome of the upcoming projects,” stated Elizabethtown Police Department Spokesperson Chris Denham. The Transportation Cabinet reports in its release that prior to the project, there were 130 total crashes in 2019 with 12 of them being injury crashes. Construction was completed on the northern section in November 2021, and collision data indicates a total of 76 crashes in 2022 with 7 being injury crashes. Traffic volume data for 2020 were not considered due to COVID and 2021 was during construction. Travel time through the area is also benefiting from removing two signalized intersections and the more structured median layout. Traffic efficiency data is still being gathered and more detailed results will be available within the next year.