Project 6 paris pike 092210

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Project 6Paris Pike (US 27/68)

Lexington – Paris, Kentucky

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Existing Paris Pike 13 miles long Mostly 2 lanes National Register Historic Corridor

Historic Bluegrass thoroughbred horse farms Many historic buildings Historic passageway

Environmental concerns Aesthetics Safety Congestion Design deficiencies

Clear zones Narrow lanes No shoulders Insufficient sight distances and turn radii Steep side slopes

Graphics sources http://maps.google.com & http://iz.carnegiemnh.org/crayfish/country_pages/state_pages/kentucky.htm

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Project Objectives

Widen from 2 lanes to 4 lanes Address:

Design deficiencies Safety Environmental concerns

Initial design 4 lanes with 40 foot median Lawsuit filed 1977 challenging EIS

Environmental Historic preservation Delayed project 15 years

Hurt public trust of KYTC

Paris Pike before improvement. Source: KYTC

CSS Approach FHWA CSS pilot project Collaboration

Initial FHWA Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) Kentucky State Historic Preservation Office National Advisory Council on Historic Preservation

Signed MOA with guidelines for design, historic preservation, environmental impacts and mitigation, and amenities

Additional after MOA Created Project Advisory Task Force (ATF)

KYTC FHWA State Historic Preservation Office Local trust for historic preservation Area interest groups County judge Citizen representative Landscape architect Civil engineer

ATF-led workshops Outreach campaign Extensive documentation of historic features

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Source: KYTC

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Notable Outcomes Construction completed 2003 Extensive coordination

Agencies Stakeholders

Re-established public trust Road alignment around, not through hills Avoided old growth trees, historic structures where

possible using flexible Alignments Median widths Clear zones Utility easements

Grass shoulders Rusticated steel/timber guardrails

Grass shoulders Source: http://www.tfhrc.gov/pubrds/03jul/images/irving6.jpg

Rusticated guardrails. Source: http://www.americanbyways.com/index.php?catid=16

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Notable Outcomes (cont.) Loam topsoil stripped, stored, reused Manufactured stone veneers for structure walls

Matched indigenous stone

Replanted removed trees, vegetation where possible Avoided or reconstructed horse farm entrances Restored historic farmhouse to serve as visitor center Removed/restored 3.5 mile 1800s dry stone wall Scenic overlooks Retained original nature trail No design exceptions

All KYTC projects now use CSS

Roadway re-alignment to miss historic properties. Source: http://www.contextsensitivesolutions.org/content/case_studies/kentucky_paris/#

Notable Outcomes (cont.)

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Highway innovation resulted from extensive stakeholder input, but with no design exceptions. Source: FHWA

Notable Outcomes (cont.)

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Highway innovation resulted from extensive stakeholder input, but with no design exceptions. Source: FHWA

Notable Outcomes (cont.)

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Dry-stone walls preserved or re-fabricated during the Paris Pike projectSource: http://www.contextsensitivesolutions.org/content/case_studies/kentucky_paris/#