Two-Year I-275 Pavement Rehab Project Begins This Week

Orange barrels are going to line Interstate 275 in northern Kentucky this summer and next.

(Erlanger, Ky) - A $31 million interstate highway construction project is about to get started in northern Kentucky.

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet announced today that a total pavement rehab project will focus on a three-mile stretch of Interstate 275 between Dixie Highway and Turfway Road. The project will also include resurfacing of ramps to and from I-75 and Dixie Highway.

The first phase of the project will include work on I-275 Eastbound. Orange barrels will begin appearing Thursday, May 16 at 8:00 a.m. Construction will continue through November.

If you are among the more than 120,000 vehicles which drive through that portion of I-275 each day, you can expect some lane shifts.

According to the KTC, “beginning this week, contractors will start placing signage throughout the project area alerting motorists to upcoming work, and crews will begin preparing for construction. Contractors will remove deteriorated concrete from three lanes and shoulders and replace the entire section of roadway with new concrete.”

“Traffic will be reduced to two lanes within the project area for the duration of the work. Initially, traffic will be shifted to the outside lanes for several weeks while crews work on the inner travel lanes. As work progresses, traffic patterns will be shifted within the project area.”

Phase two of the project is expected to take place in 2020 from late spring or early summer through the end of the year. It will move to the westbound lanes of I-275, again focusing between Mineola Pike and Dixie Highway.

“We realize this is a bit of a good news/bad news scenario,” said Bob Yeager, chief district engineer for KYTC District 6. “In the long-term, we know that new pavement on this heavily-traveled section of I-275 will provide smoother and safer travel for all who drive this section of the interstate, and drivers will be pleased with these improvements. But we also realize that during construction, travel delays may be significant.”

Yeager encourages motorists to plan their route using travel apps such as Waze, which can help drivers determine the fastest route to their destination.

The contractor on the project is Eaton Asphalt of Walton.

With over a quarter of a billion dollars of regional infrastructure investment this year alone, all within a 15-mile radius, DrivingNKYProgress.org will help drivers navigate major construction areas. The website provides multiple travel resources, including project information, traffic impacts, and feedback tools for public inquiries and comments.