New interchange already changing face of Burnside

By BILL MARDIS, Editor Emeritus
Commonwealth Journal

March 12, 2008 09:21 pm

— The “Ohio Navy,” heading south on U.S. 27 to Lake Cumberland this summer, won’t recognize the busy intersection with Ky. 90 and Ky. 1247 in northern Burnside.
Construction of a partial cloverleaf interchange has changed the face of the landscape. Already four-lane U.S. 27 is spanned by a bridge that will carry traffic on Ky. 90 and Ky. 1247, and road-building equipment has defaced scenic slopes in all directions to grade and drain approaches.
The partial cloverleaf interchange is designed to connect the planned four-laning of U.S. 27 through Burnside to the entrance of General Burnside Island State Park; the four-laning of Ky. 1247 from the interchange through Cedar Grove to Ky. 914 (southeastern bypass); and Ky. 90 west to the new bridge over Lake Cumberland and to near the Bronston Post Office.
The interchange overpass will take through traffic on Ky. 90 and Ky. 1247 above U.S. 27 and Norfolk Southern Railroad tracks. Appropriately designed ramps and signs will direct traffic north, south, east and west onto the motorist’s road of choice.
Travelers on U.S. 27, both north and south, may stay on the four-lane highway and go beneath the planned overpass. They also may take a ramp and merge westerly with Ky. 90 or a ramp and merge easterly with Ky. 1247.
U.S. 27 is currently four-laned through the planned partial cloverleaf intersection to the south side of Cumberland River bridge. As previously noted, the four-lane section of U.S. 27 eventually will be extended through the Burnside business district and to the entrance of General Burnside Island State Park. This project currently is in Phase 2 design, but no money was included in the Transportation Cabinet’s six-year plan released late in February.
On Ky. 90, west of the interchange, the new overhead truss bridge spanning Lake Cumberland was completed a couple of years ago. The bridge and approaches on both sides extend a four-lane road easterly to the interchange and westerly to the vicinity of Bronston Post Office.
Eastbound motorists on Ky. 90 may select a ramp to either north or south U.S. 27 or stay basically straight ahead and go above U.S. 27 to Ky. 1247. Westbound traffic on Ky. 1247 will have the same interchange options as eastbound traffic.
Traffic is extremely heavy at the intersection and is projected to double during the next 20 years.
Latest available traffic counts in the vicinity of the intersection indicate an average of 15,600 movements each day on U.S. 27. In 2025, the daily traffic count is projected at 31,200.
On Ky. 90 near the intersection, the daily traffic count is 13,000. In 2025, the projection is 26,000 movements.
Still a two-lane highway, Ky. 1247 is more lightly traveled with 8,800 near the intersection during a 24-hour period. In 2025, the traffic count at this location is projected to be 17,600. Hinkle Contracting Corporation of Somerset and Paris is currently building the new four-lane Ky. 1247 from the southeastern bypass to Bend of the Lake Road. This more than three miles of highway is projected for completion late in 2010.
The interchange project will widen Ky. 1247 to four lanes easterly to Bend of the Lake Road. Elmo Greer and Sons of London is general contractor for the interchange at a cost of $25,223,339.34.

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